Info source: CNN Philippines
By Regine Cabato, CNN Philippines
Updated 07:53 AM PHT Mon, November 13, 2017
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 13) — The Philippines formally opens the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Monday.
The summit, hosted by President Rodrigo Duterte, gathers the 10 ASEAN leaders to discuss hot topics that include the threat of nuclear war in the Korean Peninsula, the spread of extremism in the region and the territorial dispute in South China Sea, among others.
The regional leaders' Interface with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council follows at 12 noon at the Philippine International Convention Center.
In the afternoon, ASEAN will hold separate summits with its dialogue partners: the United States, China, Japan and South Korea. A summit with India is scheduled for Tuesday.
Leaders of the ASEAN Plus Three — which includes China, Japan and South Korea — are also expected to meet with the East Asia Business Council.
Activities in the evening include the 9th Japan-Mekong Summit — which includes Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam — and the meeting with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
On Tuesday, ASEAN will have a 40th anniversary commemorative summit with the European Union.
It will be followed by the East Asia Summit (EAS), which is composed of ASEAN members, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit follows. RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement among ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
Leaders are also set to sign the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of Rights of Migrant Workers on Tuesday evening.
The summits close with a ceremony where the Philippines turns over the ASEAN chairmanship to Singapore, which will host the 2018 summits and meetings of the regional bloc.
