Aquino off to Laos for Asia-Europe meet

President Benigno Aquino III. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III is flying to Laos on Sunday at the head of a 60-member delegation to pitch the Philippines as an investment hub at the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem).

This will be Mr. Aquino’s first ever attendance at the interregional forum created in 1996 for Europe and Asia to engage one another at the highest levels of government to discuss international issues and regional cooperation.

The two-day meeting, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, brings together the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the European Union, the European Commission and the Asean Plus Three dialogue partners.

This is the only forum where heads of state from Europe and Asia engage one another, and Mr. Aquino’s attendance signals the Philippines’ renewed focus on Europe as an economic and political partner, foreign affairs officials said.

Discourse among heads

He will be exchanging views with other heads of government on the euro zone crisis, trade and investment, energy and food security, disaster management, counter-terrorism, migration and regional issues, the officials said.

Malacañang said the President, who will be away for two days, will highlight the country’s gains in good governance and economic growth, call for an enhanced Asia-Europe economic partnership, and underscore the need for upholding the rights of migrant workers.

Bilateral talks

Mr. Aquino will be holding meetings with leaders from Europe and Asia on the sidelines of the summit, the Palace said.

“The President will convey the developments in the country to encourage other countries to seriously take another look at the Philippines, and consider putting their investments here,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over government radio.

Mr. Aquino is meeting with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on the Philippine maritime training and certification system, and its compliance with air safety standards.

He will also sit down for bilateral talks with Swiss President Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf to tackle the human rights compensation bill, cooperation in disaster risk reduction and management, and economic cooperation.

Other meetings have been lined up with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on defense and finance, and with Norwegian Prime Minister Jen Stoltenberg on Norway’s role in the peace talks with communist rebels, and maritime and labor cooperation.

Mr. Aquino will also hold a dialogue with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on cooperation in defense and higher education.

But topping his itinerary is a meeting with the members of the relatively small Filipino community shortly after his arrival, said Valte. He will be having dinner with about 300 members of the Filipino community on Sunday night.

Members of delegation

Joining the President on the trip are Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, Ambassador to Laos Maria Lumen B. Isleta, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, outgoing Energy Secretary and incoming Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

Almendras, who assumes his new position as secretary to the Cabinet on Sunday, is scheduled to take his oath of office before the President’s 1 p.m. departure for Vientiane, the Laotian capital.

Almendras’ replacement as energy secretary, Leyte Gov. Jericho Petilla, will also take his oath at the same time at the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 2, according to the President’s schedule provided by Coloma’s office.

Almendras, the President’s close friend, is the first Cabinet secretary in the Aquino administration. It is a Cabinet-level position, and was last held by Ricardo Saludo during the Arroyo administration. With a report from Leila Salaverria