New Duterte, Trump meet likely — Pompeo

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Another meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Donald Trump is on the table as a result of the meeting last Wednesday of Mr. Duterte’s Cabinet officials and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The meeting of the two leaders will be a follow up to their first encounter where they established strong ties during the Philippines’ chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2017, Philippine Ambassador to Washington DC Jose Manuel Romualdez said.

Pompeo said the two leaders were able to forge a “warm friendship” following the event, Romualdez said.

Romualdez added that Pompeo made the revelation during his meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

Cayetano and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. are in the US to meet with their counterparts.

Romualdez said the two foreign ministers had an “open and cordial interaction” at the State Department.

“We are optimistic this would reinforce the ties that bind the relations between our two countries and peoples,” the envoy said, adding the meeting gave Cayetano the opportunity to discuss the Duterte administration’s independent foreign policy.

Romualdez said the President wrote a personal letter congratulating Trump on the successful US-North Korea Summit in Singapore. The letter was delivered by Cayetano when he met with his counterpart.

“(Cayetano) told Secretary Pompeo the Philippines views the current developments in the Korean peninsula with optimism and that the Philippines is hoping the positive momentum generated by the Singapore Summit will bode well for the broader Asia-Pacific region,” Romualdez said.

On June 12, Trump and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un renewed ties in a historic summit in Singapore where Kim committed to the denuclearization of North Korea.

Esperon also met with his American counterpart John Bolton.

During the meeting, the two officials reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to their security alliance.

Esperon, for his part, expressed Manila’s gratitude for the assistance Washington extended during the 2017 siege in Marawi City and its commitment to contribute to the rehabilitation of the city.

Esperon also discussed with Bolton issues related to terrorism and other regional security concerns, such as the situation in the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula.

Romualdez said the dialogue served as an “opportunity” to discuss how the two countries could further strengthen their security alliance.

The meeting was the first time Bolton, who once served as US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, had with Filipino officials since his appointment as National Security Adviser by President Donald Trump in April.