PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. will raise issues on food and energy security, climate change, and post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) to be held in Thailand on November 16 to 19.
The APEC event will follow the President’s attendance to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Cambodia, set on November 10 to 13, and will be ahead of the ASEAN-EU (European Union) Summit in Belgium next month.
Press Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil said the President and the other leaders of the 21 APEC economies are expected to discuss sustainable trade and investment, reconnecting the region, charting paths towards post-pandemic recovery, and inclusive and sustainable growth.
Garafil said it will also be an “opportunity for the country to push for economic agenda and priorities including empowerment of the micro-, small- and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) and their inclusion in global value chains, recognition of the essential role of maritime crews and seafarers in ensuring stable and resilient supply chains, and ensuring food and energy security as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation.”
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eric Gerardo Tamayo said the President is expected to hold meetings with six leaders at the sidelines of the summit but declined to name them saying arrangements are still being finalized.
Asked if Marcos will meet with US Vice President Kamala Harris, Tamayo said, “these meetings have yet to be explored for the time being.”
DFA spokeswoman Teresita Daza said Harris is expected to visit the Philippines after the APEC summit but details about the trip are forthcoming. The visit was announced by the White House late last month.
“The Philippines of course welcomes the visit of the Vice President to Manila as it will provide another opportunity to further strengthen engagement, our engagement with the US following high-level meetings in the past. She will also be joined by the second Gentleman in this forthcoming visit,” Daza said.
Asked if Marcos will raise the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war in the summit, Tamayo said the President and the Philippines have already “made pronouncements in the appropriate forum on our stand in Ukraine.”
“We will focus our efforts in APEC on the economic issues that impact on the region. It is certainly something that, a political issue, that we have made pronouncements on in other platforms and not necessarily in APEC,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to confirm attendance to the event.
Garafil said Marcos is also expected to join the APEC-CEO Summit where he will meet with top business leaders in the region and discuss business opportunities, investments, and expansion plans.
Tamayo said Marcos will also meet with Thai business executives at the sidelines of the summit and invite them to invest in the country. He declined to identify the companies pending final arrangements for the meetings.
Garafil said the President is also scheduled to meet with the Filipino community in Thailand.
It will be the first in-person meeting of the 21-member regional economic bloc since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The 21 member-economies are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.
