Senior Southeast Asian officials are now in the final stretch of preparations for the 31st Asean Summit and Related Meetings in November in Manila.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has convened the Joint Consultative Meeting (JCM) at the Philippine International Convention Center for a three-day meeting that began on Wednesday to deliberate on the proposed outcome documents to be adopted or issued by the Asean Leaders during their Manila Summit.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique A. Manalo chairs the meeting, which will also consider the logistical preparations for the Summit. The JCM is a cross-sector body composed of senior officials from the ministries in charge of foreign affairs, economy and sociocultural affairs of the Asean member-states.
Manalo is joined by Social Welfare Undersecretary Florita R. Villar, Trade Assistant Secretary Anna Maria Diaz-Robeniol and Philippine Permanent Representative to Asean, Ambassador Elizabeth Buensuceso.
After the JCM, the Asean foreign affairs officials will meet with their counterparts from China, Japan and the South Korea under the Asean Plus Three Senior Officials Meeting. They will also meet with the senior officials of the East Asia Summit, which includes Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russian Federation and the United States. The meetings will discuss preparations, including the outcome documents, for the 20th Asean Plus Three Summit and 12th East Asia Summit in November.