Duterte to attend 37th Asean Summit via video conference

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on August 31, 2020. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte will participate in the 37th Asean Summit and Related Summits on Nov. 12-15 via video conference.

According to a statement from the Office of the President, Duterte will exchange views with his counterparts on the region’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) response and recovery efforts.

Duterte will also participate in discussions about future direction of Asean community building, and regional and international developments.

He will also advance Philippine positions on public health emergencies cooperation, regional economic integration, migrant workers’ rights, climate change, disaster risk reduction management, counter-terrorism, and the South China Sea issue.

Key cabinet members, including the Secretaries of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry, and Social Welfare and Development will also be joining the summit.

Last April, Duterte urged members of the Asean to work together to counter the adverse social and economic impact of Covid-19 on the regional bloc.

“To effectively overcome the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, Asean must collaborate and coordinate within our region and beyond,” Duterte said during his address at the Special Asean Summit on Covid-19.

Duterte stressed the need to boost production and facilitate intra-Asean trade of vital medicines and medical equipment and supplies.

He made the proposal as he emphasized that the Southeast Asian nations’ healthcare systems are under “increasing stress” due to the rise in Covid-19 infections.

He said Asean should also remain open for trade to ensure the supply chain connectivity and the smooth flow of goods within the region.

The 37th Asean Summit and Related Summits, chaired by Vietnam, will focus on the theme “Cohesive and Responsive Asean”.

The summit is expected to adopt more than 10 outcome documents on Asean cooperation on Covid-19, enhancing preparedness for public health emergencies, and updates on Asean community building efforts, among others.

Vietnam is expected to symbolically hand over the Asean Chairmanship to Brunei at the closing ceremony on November 15.

Outcomes of the mid-term review of the Master Plan on Asean Community 2025 and the Asean comprehensive recovery framework will be announced following a plenary session of the 37th Asean Summit. The establishment of a regional medical supplies reserve in response to medical emergencies will also be unveiled.

As of Tuesday, Indonesia has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Asean region with 444,348 followed by the Philippines with 399,79, Myanmar (61,975 cases), Singapore (58,073), and Malaysia (42,050 cases).