President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will travel to Bangkok, Thailand on Wednesday, Nov. 16, to join other world leaders for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.
The Palace said the President tested negative for COVID-19, after he had come in contact with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who had tested positive at the Group of 20 meetings in Bali, Indonesia.
“The President had himself tested as part of the health protocol for the APEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand,” Cheloy Garafil, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Press Secretary, said.
“He also instructed members of the official delegation to Cambodia to have themselves tested,” he added.
The President wished the Cambodian prime minister a speedy recovery.
The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said the chief executive would focus on food security, energy security and climate change mitigation in his meeting with fellow leaders at the APEC Summit.
This will be the first time the President will attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM), which runs until Nov 19.
It will also be the first in-person meeting of the leaders of the APEC economies since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020.
In the summit, the President will join world leaders in various dialogues and will hold bilateral talks with other heads of state on the sidelines of the AELM.
The President, who attended the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits last week, considers both ASEAN and APEC as vital platforms in advancing the country’s interests and positions before world leaders.
The APEC serves as the premier Asia-Pacific economic forum established in 1989 with the primary goal of supporting sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
APEC’s 21 member-economies are home to more than 2.9 billion people and make up over 60 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP).
APEC membership includes Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Chinese-Taipei, Thailand and the United States of America.
