MANILA, Philippines – Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario will join President Aquino at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-US summit next week.
US President Barack Obama will host the leaders of the 10-member ASEAN on Feb. 15 and 16 at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, California, Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said yesterday.
The summit aims to build deeper partnerships that the US has forged with ASEAN since 2009 and further advance Washington’s rebalance to Asia and the Pacific.
The US and the ASEAN have worked toward stability, prosperity and peace in Southeast Asia for nearly 40 years.
The event will provide leaders a forum to strengthen cooperation on political security and economic issues under the new US-ASEAN strategic partnership, which was launched in November 2015 in Kuala Lumpur.
Del Rosario has resigned for health reasons effective March 7.
President Aquino accepted his resignation, according to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.
The DFA is mum on Del Rosario’s replacement.