Duterte meets Singapore, Japanese prime ministers ahead of Asean Summit

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday held bilateral talks with the prime ministers of Singapore and Japan ahead of the formal start of Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Summit in Vientiane, Laos.

Duterte met Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for the first time. The meetings were held at the National Convention Center in Vientaine.

Lee said he was pleased to meet Duterte and invited him to Singapore. The two countries are founding members of the ASEAN.

"PM congratulated President Duterte on his election," the statement of the Singapore Prime Minister Office read.

"Both leaders reaffirmed the long and close ties between the two countries and looked forward to the celebrations of the golden jubilee of diplomatic relations in 2019. They discussed domestic and regional developments," it added.

On the other hand, presidential peace adviser Jesus Jess Dureza in his Facebook post shared Duterte and Abe also met at the sidelines of ASEAN summit. He said Abe’s remarks that Duterte was popular in Japan elicited laughs from those present in the meeting area.

Duterte is set to meet other world leaders at the sidelines of the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summit.