By CNN Philippines Staff
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 11) — President Rodrigo Duterte met face to face with U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time on Saturday.
The two leaders briefly talked during the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam.
In a press briefing in Vietnam, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said their highly anticipated meeting “was short but it was warm and cordial.”
“It shows that I think that the two leaders were genuinely pleased to finally meet each other in person,” Roque added.
Presidential Assistant Bong Go shared to the media photos of the meeting.
When asked how it went, Go said, “Short lang sabi nila ‘see you tomorrow’ (It was just a short meeting, they said ‘see you tomorrow’).”
Trump is expected to arrive in the Philippines this weekend for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related meetings.
Trump will stay in the country until November 14, in time for the ASEAN-East Asia Summit (EAS).
Both Duterte and Trump said they were looking forward to their face-to-face meeting.
The two leaders are often compared to each other for their tough talk and controversial statements.
In a phone call in December 2016 to congratulate Trump on his win, President Duterte invited then President-elect Trump to the ASEAN Summit.
Duterte then said he sensed good rapport with “an animated President-elect Trump… who understood the way we are handling” the country’s anti-drug campaign.
During the APEC Summit, Trump commended the Philippines as the first among Asian countries to minimize the gender gap.