Indonesia's President Still Hasn't Told Manila He Won't Attend APEC Summit

The Philippines still has not received formal notice from Indonesian President Joko Widodo that he will not be participating in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Manila, the forum’s spokesman told Sputnik Friday.

MANILA (Sputnik) — On Thursday, the Philippine Foreign Ministry said Widodo would not attend the annual summit due to the need to address domestic issues in Jakarta.

"In the Philippines we are still waiting for a formal confirmation," Charles Jose said, responding to a question on whether the Indonesian president had formally advised the Philippines of his absence.

Jose added that it was not yet clear who would represent Indonesia, as only a formal letter would clarify the identity of Widodo’s replacement.

During the APEC summit, the Indonesian president was expected to confirm the country's desire to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact after voicing such an intent during talks with US President Barack Obama on October 26.

Some of the trade deal's participants, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and Singapore, may meet on the sidelines of the Manila summit.

The heads-of-state of the 21 member economies of APEC, with the exception of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indonesian leader Widodo, are expected in Manila on November 18-19. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will head Russia’s delegation to the summit. The economic forum, established in 1989, encompasses over 50 percent of the global economy and 40 percent of the world’s population.