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SINGAPORE (via PLDT)—Malacañang said on Thursday that
President Arroyo achieved her goals at the 13th
Association of Southeast Nations Summit, which was to
see through the signing of an Asean Charter with
substantial Philippine input and to express the
Philippine demand for an accelerated democratic strong
position on the Burma issue.
Press
Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in an interview with
Philippine media at the Fullerton Hotel lobby that the
President managed to accomplish such tasks while
reinvigorating the country’s ties with its neighbors and
trade partners.
“We
believe that the President’s participation in the Asean
Summit was successful because the Asean Charter was
signed. It started in Cebu, and the Philippines,
particularly the President, had a significant
contribution in the crafting the Charter . . . .What she
started in Cebu had its fruition in Singapore,” Bunye
said.
He also
cited the President’s statement on the Burma issue that
she delivered to Asean leaders during their informal
working dinner, and in bilateral meetings with Singapore
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Burma Prime Minister
Thein Sein and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.
The
President drew media attention when she said that the
Philippine Congress would unlikely ratify the Asean
Charter if Burma fails to free Nobel Peace laureate Aung
San Suu Kyi and its political prisoners, and speed up
its democratic reforms.
She was
also among the first to seek a briefing from UN Special
Envoy Ibrahim Gambari on the situation in
Burma,
after Asean leaders agreed to cancel Gambari’s planned
briefing for the East Asia Summit.
“We can
say that on the whole, this is a milestone summit for
Asean. There was the sidelight on
Burma.
“The
President has been very consistent about the Philippine
position on Burma, and this is a position which the
President, in representation of the Filipino people,
will try to pursue in other fora,” Bunye said.
On
whether the President pursue an expedited democratic
process in Burma to ensure the ratification of the Asean
Charter, he said: “To be more specific, the President
pledged that she would continue to work for the early
release of Madame Aung San Suu Kyi . . . .We hope that
this will prod the authorities in Burma to earlier
action toward democracy.”
The
President’s bilateral meeting with
Clark was highlighted by the signing of the Philippines-New
Zealand Air Services Agreement, which is expected to
increase trade, tourism, investments, and other
opportunities through direct flights between the two
countries.
“The
meeting of the different world leaders is very
important. Every time world leaders meet, it is a
positive thing and it enhances our multilateral
relations with the other world leaders and the other
countries, and this will result in more trade, more
investments and ultimately more jobs for the average
Filipino,” Bunye said. |
