THE Senate and the House of Representatives will formally open the 31st Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) from November 23 to 25 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said they are expected to welcome around 275 foreign delegates who will exchange views on politics, security matters, economics, trade matters, and regional cooperation.
He said a special meeting of “women parliamentarians and young parliamentarians” will also be held.
The APPF is a multilateral parliamentary forum involving 28 member countries in the Asia-Pacific region covering Southeast Asia, Oceania, Northeast Asia, and the Americas.
“Every year, an APPF member country is granted the privilege of hosting the Annual Meeting, where our parliamentarians come together to discuss and form agreements over shared concerns and interests in the region, particularly with the aim of pursuing and upholding peace, progress, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific,” Zubiri said in a statement.
“We are proud to be hosting the APPF in the Philippines once again — this being our first time hosting since 1994,” he added.
Zubiri said he is hopeful that in the next three days, lawmakers “will be able to collectively form concrete steps forward as we all work toward shared prosperity in the region.”
In an interview, Zubiri said the issues in the South China Sea will be tackled, adding member countries want peace and stability in the region.
“So definitely, the issues on West Philippine Sea will be discussed. But as hosts, we do not want a disorderly meeting because China is also sending a delegation. We are trying to promote peace and stability,” Zubiri said.
He said the Philippines, as host country, will be “diplomatic as possible so that we can come out with a consensus.”
He said the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Senate and the House of Representatives have prepared a resolution “about the freedom of navigation, about peace and stability in the area.”
Zubiri said they will have to “tone down” their previous statements on China’s bullying in the West Philippine Sea but clarified that the country’s position in the West Philippine Sea will remain unchanged.
