President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to discuss ways to recover from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic when he delivers a speech at the 26th Nikkei Conference on the Future of Asia on Friday.

In a press statement on Thursday, Malacañang confirmed Duterte’s participation in the Future of Asia forum organized by the Tokyo-based Nikkei, Inc., the largest economic newspaper in Japan and the largest news group in Asia.

He is set to deliver a speech at about 1:45 p.m. on Friday, the Palace said.

“In his address, the President will advance Philippine views and positions on the ongoing global fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and what needs to be done to achieve full recovery,” it said.

Duterte will join the forum virtually, the Presidential Communications Operations Office said in a separate statement.

This will be his second time to join the Nikkei Conference, one of Asia’s top foreign policy and economic fora.

He will join leaders from Japan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as heads of international organizations, Malacañang said.

Before the scheduled conference, Duterte had a phone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide on Wednesday.

He and Suga discussed the prevailing pandemic, the Philippines and Japan’s bilateral ties, the West Philippine Sea disputes, the latest developments in Myanmar, and the fight against piracy, terrorism, and other transnational crimes, among others.

In 2019, Duterte flew to Japan to attend the 25th Nikkei Future of Asia Conference.

The Nikkei Conference on the Future of Asia is an annual meeting that gathers political, economic, and academic leaders from the Asia-Pacific region to discuss current political and economic trends and issues.

Last year, the forum was canceled due to the pandemic.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Shaping the Post-Covid Era: Asia’s Role in the Global Recovery.” (PNA)