Duterte, Obama briefly talk before Asean dinner

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Barack Obama, right, during the gala dinner of ASEAN leaders and its Dialogue Partners in the ongoing 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits and other related summits at the National Convention Center Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016 in Vientiane, Laos.

VIENTIANE — President Duterte briefly spoke with US President Barack Obama ahead of the gala dinner for state leaders attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit on Wednesday night.

Foreign affairs spokesperson Charles Jose said the two leaders met at the holding room of the National Convention Center.

“I think they were able to iron out the issue,” Jose told reporters without elaborating.

An Associated Press report  said that Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay has told reporters, “I am confirming that they met.”

Yasay said: “I am happy. This shows that the relationship between the two allies is strong.”

Before flying here on Monday,  Duterte lashed out at Obama with profanities over the American president’s plan to bring up the issue of  rising drug-related killings in the Philippines since he took office on June 30.

Duterte’s outburst prompted Washington to cancel the bilateral meeting between the two leaders on Tuesday.  SFM/rga

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