Obama welcomes Aquino for US-Asean summit

RANCHO MIRAGE, California—United States President Barack Obama welcomed President Benigno Aquino III upon the latter’s arrival at the Sunnylands estate for the two-day summit with Southeast Asian leaders.

Aquino arrived around 3:40 p.m. (7:40 a.m. Manila time).

READ: Aquino arrives in California for US-ASEAN summit

The two leaders shook hands, exchanged smiles and posed for a picture, before Obama escorted Aquino to the venue of the first meeting.

Obama then returned to the entrance to welcome the next leader to arrive. He personally welcomed the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

READ: Obama to meet Asean leaders to ‘counter’ China

The summit is the first meeting of the US and the Asean as strategic partners.

The first discussion of the summit will focus on the promotion of an innovative, entrepreneurial Asean economic community. It will be followed by a working dinner on the regional strategic outlook.

READ: Economy, security top US-Asean Summit talks

The second day of the summit will have the leaders tackling the protection of peace, prosperity and security in the Asia Pacific.

Asean leaders began arriving at the Sunnylands estate past 3 p.m. Obama welcomed all of them to the venue of talks that the US describes as unprecedented. RAM

President Barack Obama greets Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, right, at a meeting of ASEAN, the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations, at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. Obama and the leaders of the Southeast Asian nations are gathering for two days of talks on economic and security issues and on forging deeper ties amid China’s assertive presence in the region. AP