MANILA — Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill arrived in Manila on Tuesday afternoon for a three-day visit where he is scheduled to meet President Rodrigo R. Duterte for a scheduled bilateral meeting on Wednesday.
Duterte will also be hosting a state banquet in honor of O’Neill on Wednesday night in Malacañan.
O’Neill arrived at 4:11 p.m. at the Villamor Airbase, according to a statement sent to the media by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).
He was welcomed by Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.
Pasay City Mayor Antonio Calixto, Pasay City Rep. Emi Calixto-Rubiano and Navotas City Rep. Tobias “Toby” Tiangco also joined Piñol in welcoming O’Neill.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by PNG Minister of Finance James Marape and Mr. Christopher Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer of the Papua New Guinea Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Authority.
He will cap off his visit to the country by touring the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija and then proceed to Japan.
Papua New Guinea is this year’s chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
Duterte and O’Neill met last year at the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam.
O’Neill was also in Manila during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November 2015. (PNA)
