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MANILA, Philippines?The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Saturday that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit the Philippines next week.
In a statement, the DFA said Clinton will meet with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo during a two-day visit on November 12 -13, before she attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) Summit in Singapore on Nov. 19.
According to Romulo, the discussion agenda includes the peace talks in Mindanao, climate change, and nuclear non-proliferation, one of the key issues discussed by Arroyo and US President Barack Obama during her trip to the White House recently.
"This visit by Secretary Clinton is a good opportunity for the Philippine and US governments to have substantial discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest?disaster management, the Mindanao peace process, climate change, and nuclear non-proliferation," Romulo said.
A spokesman from the US Embassy in Manila said they have yet to see an announcement of Clinton's itinerary in Manila from Clinton's staff.
Next week's visit is Clinton's second trip to the Philippines but her first as secretary of state. This will be Clinton?s second visit to Southeast Asia and third to Asia since being appointed Obama?s secretary of state. On her inaugural foreign trip after her appointment, she visited Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and China last February.
Clinton's first trip to the Philippines was in 1996 when she accompanied her husband, then US President Bill Clinton, to the APEC summit held at the Subic Freeport.
