Indonesia’s Widodo flies in for ASEAN events

November 12, 2017 - 12:31 PM
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Indonesian President Joko Widodo emerges from the plane that brought him and his wife to the Philippines. PHOTO BY MONG PINTOLO, PHILSTAR

CLARK FIELD, Philippines – (UPDATED) Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s plane touched down at noon Sunday at the Clark International Airport in this former military base, the second ASEAN head of state to arrive for the day to attend the 31st Summit and related summits of Southeast Asia’s leaders and their dialogue partners.

He is the fourth of ASEAN’s leaders to arrive for the weekend, having been preceded by Lao PDR Prime Minister Thoungloun Sisoulith who flew in Sunday morning; and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The last two flew in Saturday afternoon.

Widodo and First Lady Iriana were welcomed by Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol.

The heads of state and government of the ASEAN members and the regional bloc’s dialogue partners including US President Donald Trump will be feted at a gala dinner hosted by President Rodrigo Duterte Sunday night, to mark the 50th anniversary of ASEAN. – With a report by Camille Aguinaldo, InterAksyon