Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for Vientiane, Laos on Wednesday to attend the 14th India-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit and the 11th East Asia Summit.
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The Republican nominee said Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a better leader than Obama and that USA generals have been “reduced to rubble” on the commander-in-chief’s watch.
“On that narrow issue we do want to make sure the partnership we have is consistent with worldwide norms and rule of law”, he added.
Duterte this week called Obama a “son of a b–” and said he would not be lectured over extrajudicial killings in the Philippines’ drug war. Obama and Modi have focused on climate change in their past meetings, so it was likely they would discuss further it during the East Asia Summit. Is Obama trying to lure Laos into a closer relationship to counter China?
Duterte, a brash figure whose trash-talking has become his trademark, took Obama to task on the eve of their first planned meeting at a regional summit in Laos.
“I did shake hands with President Duterte last night”, Obama said.
Obama was seated six seats to the right of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
After warnings from Duterte that he would not be lectured on his crime war – which is seeing police and shadowy assassins kill an average of 44 people a day – Obama urged the Philippine leader to respect the rule of law.
Apparently prompted by the U.S. move, Duterte quickly backtracked on Tuesday, saying he did not mean to insult Obama but was addressing a reporter. He later apologized and explained that it was due to continuous pressure from the USA officials over his war against drugs, in which 2000 people have died. “We will work in advancing our policy and regulatory environment providing an affordable and innovative digital platforms, and accessing best practices and financial resources”, he said.
Duterte also announced that the Philippines will host the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) senior officials’ meeting in November 2016.
Acknowledging the dark aftershocks of the Vietnam War, President Barack Obama paid tribute Wednesday to survivors maimed by some 80 million unexploded bombs America dropped on Laos decades ago and pledged USA help to finally clean them up.
At the closing ceremony of the 28th and 29th Asean summits, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith handed over the chairmanship to the Philippines starting January 1 of next year.
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He is to attend a gala dinner tonight with both Obama and Ban, as well as join a meeting that the two leaders will have with the bloc’s heads of state and government.
