CLARK FIELD, Pampanga – (UPDATED) The plane of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is attending this week’s ASEAN events, landed at Clark International Airport at 1:52pm Sunday.
He was welcomed by Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña.
He is the second leader of an ASEAN Dialogue Partner to fly in on Sunday, following New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern, who also flew in via this former US military base before being ferried to Metro Manila – site of the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
Trudeau will take part in the Canada-ASEAN Commemorative Summit on Tuesday to review relations between Canada and the 10 ASEAN countries.
It is Trudeau’s second visit to the Philippines, having previously attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in 2015.
Trudeau has been criticized by local environmental groups for his government’s failure thus far to resolve the controversial dumping of garbage by Canada in the Philippines.
The Canadian leader previously said a “Canadian” solution (was) being developed” to fix the loopholes that allowed the garbage to be shipped in the country.
Canada and New Zealand’s leaders are among the nine leaders participating in separate meetings between ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners, among them the United States’ President Donald Trump.
The heads of state and government of the ASEAN members and the regional bloc’s dialogue partners including US President Donald Trump, will be feted at a gala dinner hosted by President Rodrigo Duterte Sunday night, to mark the 50th anniversary of ASEAN.- with a report by Camille Aguinaldo, InterAksyon
