PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday that Turkey and Mongolia expressed their intention to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
While in China, Duterte said Mongolian Prime Minister Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to him on separate occasions about joining the Asean.
"They want to join Asean and since I'm the chairman, the Philippines. They want me to sponsor their entry. And I said, 'Yes, why not?'" Duterte, this year's chair of Asean, added.
Duterte visited in China from May 13 to 15 to participate in the Road and Belt Forum. He arrived in Davao City's airport on early Tuesday morning.
The President said he had also mentioned the possible membership of two countries in Asean to Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi but the latter questioned their qualifications.
"She said, 'Have you considered the physical geography whether they are part of the Asean or not?' They are. I would say that they are," Duterte said.
"Turkey seems to be ambivalent whether to be a bridge of Europe and Asia or being an Asian. They are not clear there. They have always been an ambivalent view. Sometimes, they say that they are part of Asia. Sometimes, they say that they are the bridge of Asia to Europe," the President added.
To date, there are 10 Asean member-states, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The 31st Asean summit will be held in Clark, Pampanga in November this year. (VoxPop Philippines)
