Duterte already in Peru; may meet with Putin, Xi on Saturday

The plane carrying President Rodrigo Duterte arrives in Peru. The Philippine president is welcomed by Peruvian officials. PHOTO FROM PALACE

LIMA, Peru — President Rodrigo Duterte arrived here Thursday evening (Friday in Manila) for his maiden appearance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, where he is expected to meet on the side Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China.

The Philippine leader was welcomed by Peruvian Minister of Culture Jorge Nieto and Peruvian Ambassador to Manila Julio Cardenas Velarde as he alighted from the presidential plane at the Jorge Chavez International Airport moments before midnight here, officials said.

The Apec Economic Leaders Meeting officially commences on Nov. 19, and he has no scheduled public appearance the whole day Friday.

Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, who met US Secretary of State John Kerry, said Mr. Duterte was poised to hold bilateral discussions with Putin and Xi on Saturday, barring unforeseen impediments.

The United States did not request a private meeting between outgoing US President Barack Obama and Mr. Duterte, and neither did the Philippine side, the country’s top diplomat told reporters on the sidelines of Apec ministerial meetings.

A request, however, emanated from China, he said.

“We are still going to confirm that. Most likely it will be a pull-aside, likewise with Russia,” Yasay said, adding that Peru, the host country, and a few others had also sought bilaterals with Mr. Duterte.

“But I would imagine because of time constraints — just travel from Manila to Lima is exhausting for the President — it might not be possible to accommodate all the requests,” he said.

As for the prospect of meeting Putin at Mr. Duterte’s own request, Yasay said he was hopeful it would push through, though he admitted nothing was set in stone yet.

Apec is an economic, trade and investment forum among 21 Pacific Rim countries, including the Philippines, the United States, China, and Russia. It’s a year-long series of ministerial discussions that culminate in the Economic Leaders Meeting.

The member economies of Apec account for approximately 40 percent of the world’s population, an estimated 55 percent of world GDP, and about 44 percent of global trade.

Established in 1989, with the Philippines as a founding member, Apec has worked to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers across Asia Pacific in a bid to create efficient domestic economies and dramatically raise exports.