Philippine president cancels Sept. trip to Vietnam, Indonesia

Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III said Tuesday that his September trips to Vietnam and Indonesia have been canceled.

Aquino told reporters that the Department of Foreign Affairs advised him that he could not be accommodated on the dates that he was supposed to go to the two member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Presidential Communications Operations Office earlier advised that Aquino's state visit to Vietnam would be on Sept. 13- 14 and thereafter to Indonesia until Sept. 15.

"The trips (to Vietnam and Indonesia) are canceled, the first time (trip) will be in U.S.," Aquino said.

He said that Indonesia could only accommodate him "sometime in October."

He said since Vietnam is the host country for this year's ASEAN leaders' summit to be held in October, then that will be the time that he will go there instead.

"I think it's more prudent to have one trip (to Vietnam) than two," he added.

Aquino will attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 20-22.

Source: Xinhua