16 world leaders to attend ASEAN business summit

FILE: (Photo: King Rodriguez/PPD/PNA)

MANILA — Sixteen world leaders are expected to attend the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) 2017 of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (BAC) slated in Manila from November 12 to 14.

The ASEAN BAC has invited the 10 leaders of ASEAN member states and the region’s six dialogue partners.

ASEAN BAC Chairman Jose Maria Concepcion III said the Council will launch its flagship project ASEAN Mentors for Entrepreneurship Network (AMEN) during the first day of the ABIS 2017.

ASEAN leaders are expected to grace the launching of AMEN.

Concepcion said some 280 established entrepreneurs, business practitioners, and academicians will join the pioneer group of mentors in AMEN.

He added that the Philippines has the largest base of 53 mentors.

On the second day of the event, ASEAN Dialogue Partners will be attending the ABIS.

These include Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Korean President Moon Jae-In, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be opening the third day of the business summit.

He will also be joined by Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, United Nation Secretary General Antonio Gutierres, European Council President Donald Tusk, ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh, and United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo will be closing the ABIS 2017.

Concepcion noted that ABAC has forwarded various initiatives to ASEAN Leaders that will improve the business climate in the region.

The Council will also have their dialogues with the ASEAN Leaders.

(PNA)