Duterte to join virtual Nikkei forum

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to join fellow heads of states in the Nikkei Future of Asia Conference on Friday to discuss his views on efforts to address COVID-19, which has left millions of people dead and has dragged economies into recession.

The president will participate in the event virtually and will join leaders from Japan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, and heads of international organizations in the lineup of speakers, according to a Palace statement released Thursday.

The event, to be held at 1:45 p.m. (Manila time), will carry the theme “Shaping the Post-COVID Era: Asia’s Role in the Global Recovery.”

"In his address, the President will advance Philippine views and positions on the ongoing global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and what needs to be done to achieve full recovery," presidential adviser on foreign affairs and chief of presidential protocol Robert Borje said in the statement.

It will be Duterte's second time to address the Nikkei Conference, one of Asia’s top foreign policy and economic fora. The president's first participation in the forum was in 2019, where he called for the completion of a binding code of conduct for claimants in the South China Sea and discussed his efforts to promote an environment conducive for businesses.

The annual forum, which gathers leaders and business executives from all over the region to talk about political and economic issues, is organized by Nikkei Inc., the largest economic newspaper in Japan and the largest news group in Asia.