BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
PRESIDENT Arroyo could make a quick trip to
the United States next week for the Global Leaders’ Crisis
Summit in the UN headquarters in New York on the invitation of
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said the
President "will probably respond positively" to the call
because of the Philippines’ "deep support" for Saudi Arabia
and the Middle East’s "support" for the country.
US President George W. Bush is hosting a
meeting of the global leaders from the G20 or 20 top developed
economies, International Monetary Fund managing director
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, World Bank Group president Robert B.
Zoellick, United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon, and
chairman of the Financial Stability Forum Mario Draghi to
discuss the world financial crisis.
The G20 is composed of Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India,
Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South
Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the US and
European Union.
Dureza said the President would stay for
only one day in the US.
He said Arroyo is scheduled to receive
Thailand Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat who will be here
Nov. 11 to 12 to preside the meeting of the technical working
group of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that is
tackling the proposed expansion of the Chang Mai fund to
assist developing economies with liquidity problems.
Arroyo will attend the Asia Pacific
Economic Forum meeting in Peru in the third week of November.
Arroyo will also attend the Asean meeting in Chiang Mai in
Thailand in December where her advocacy to turn the Chiang Mai
Initiative into a bigger more quick disbursing standby fund
will be decided.
