Leader of Peru, next APEC host, arrives in Manila

MANILA, Philippines — Peruvian President Ollanta Moises Humala Tasso, who will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings next year, arrived in Manila early on Wednesday.

The plane carrying Humala, a former army who participated in the Cenepa War elected in 2011, touched down at 4:45 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.

Humala and President Benigno Aquino III are expected to meet ahead of the APEC Leaders' Meeting.

Peru Ambassador Felix Denegri earlier said Humala will conduct a bilateral meeting with Aquino seeking expanded ties in areas such as disaster management and trade.

The ambassador, however, refused to disclose if the two leaders will discuss a free trade area.

The Peruvian president, elected in 2011, is expected to deliver the closing address at the APEC CEO Summit Session Nine on growth in the global economy.

Denegri said Peru was involved in various free trade areas such with the United States, Canada, China, Singapore and Thailand.

In 2014, Philippines emerged as Peru's largest trading partner in Southeast Asia.

Besides being an APEC member economy, Peru is part of the Pacific Alliance, a regional group in Latin America established four years ago and is composed of four countries including Mexico, Colombia, and Chile. It now has 42 observers.

A APEC next year, Humala is also expected to invite the delegates to the APEC CEO Summit 2016.