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BEIJING — President Rodrigo Duterte revealed Tuesday that Turkey and Mongolia were interested to be part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

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Duterte on Sunday had bilateral talks with Prime Minister Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat and a pull aside meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during the leaders’ roundtable session at Yanqi Lake here. Duterte was here for the two-day Belt and Road Forum.

“By the way, I had a talk with the President Erdoğan and the Prime Minister si Erdenebat sa Mongolia. They also want to… Gusto nila mag-sali sa Asean,” he told reporters in a press briefing right after he arrived in Davao City.

“And since I am now the chair, ang Pilipinas ngayon, they wanted me to sponsor their entry and I said, “Yes, why not?” he added.

The President said Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi finds their inclusion strange.

“Have you considered the physical — the geography whether they are part of the Asean or not?” he said, quoting the Myanmar leader.

Duterte responded, saying “They are. I would say that they are. Turkey it seems to be ambivalent to whether to be — to bridge Europe and Asia or being an Asia. Wala silang klaro diyan. They have always been an ambivalent view,” he said. “Sometimes they say that they are part of Asia, sometimes they say that they are the bridge of Asia to Europe.” CBB /rga

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