MANILA – US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney said Nov. 7 President George W. Bush, who will attend the Asean summit conference in Hanoi, Vietnam Nov. 12-19 will have a one-on-one meeting with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during the conference.
Kenney said Mr. Bush will attend the conference regardless of the results of the US midterm elections. She added the US government will continue to help Manila fight terrorists, especially in Mindanao.
“The US
support for the Philippines
and [their] partnership will be very, very strong. In fact, we have upcoming
meetings in Hanoi,
and our two Presidents will be meeting together," she said.
“Regardless of what happens in our
elections at home we’re going to stay as a really strong partner of the Philippines. We
will never change whatsoever," she added.
Kenney said Philippine Foreign Secretary
Alberto Romulo will also meet with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on
the sidelines of the Apec conference.
“We’ve been friends with the Philippines for
the last 60 or more years really... and we’re going to continue with everything
we’re doing here," she said.
The Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting will
be held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on November 12-19.
Apec began as an informal dialogue group
in 1989, but has since become the premier forum for facilitating economic
growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region.
Apec’s other 20 member-economies include
Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea,
Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russian,
Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.
If the talks are pushed through, the
terrorists problem in Mindanao will probably
top the agenda of the Bush-Arroyo meeting. The US
has been very supportive of the Philippines
in trying to bring an end to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebellion and
the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group which is linked to Al Qaeda and JI in southern Mindanao.
