Fit to travel abroad again, President Arroyo will leave Tuesday, July 14, for Egypt to attend the 5th Non-Aligned Movement summit, the largest gathering world leaders next to the United Nations.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the President will speak on behalf of Asian leaders in the gathering of more than 100 heads of government to be held on July 15 to 16 in the city of Sharm El Sheikh.

The President, accompanied by a lean delegation, will depart Manila this afternoon for a long flight to Egypt, her second tour to the ancient city in three months. Mrs. Arroyo was in Egypt last May when she netted $1.2 billion worth of investments in her meetings with government and business leaders.

This will also be the President’s first foreign trip since she was given a clean bill of health in a recent medical checkup at the Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa City. Mrs. Arroyo, who admitted had breast implants in the 80s, recently had a biopsy of the lumps from her breast and groin, which were later declared benign.

Remonde said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, personally handpicked President Arroyo to be the spokesperson for the heads of states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the region during the assembly with the theme of International Solidarity for Peace and Development.

NAM, founded in September 1961, groups 118 member states, 16 observer countries and nine observer organizations from Africa, Asia, Erope, South and Central America and the Caribbean. The movement, representing nearly two-thirds of UN member states and comprises 55 percent of the world population, focuses on striving for interests of developing countries all over the world.

“It is a huge honor because President was picked to become the spokesperson of Asia. She was picked by President Mubarak to speak for and on behalf of all governments and all leaders of Asia,” Remonde said.

“There are many brilliant leaders in Asia but she was still chosen to speak for Asia,” he added.

At the sidelines of the NAM summit, Remonde said the President is likely to hold meetings with other heads of government, including leaders from the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

Remonde said the President will bring a lean party to her Egypt trip, including few cabinet men, lawmakers, administrative staff, and security, smarting from flurry of criticisms about her costly foreign travels.

Remonde said he, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, and Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III will accompany the President in her latest trip abroad. Congressmen and businessmen who plan to join the President’s trip to Egypt, Remonde added, would have to shoulder their own travel expenses.

The President, who has drawn flak over the necessity and cost of her frequent travels abroad, is expected to return to Manila on Friday, July 17.

Next to Eygpt, the President is scheduled to travel to the United States for a historic meeting with President Barack Obama at the end of the month.

Remonde said the President has accepted Obama’s invitation to visit the White House on July 30, making her the first Southeast Asian leader to meet the US leader since his assumption to office last January.

He said the President is expected to take up the government’s economic resiliency and poverty alleviation programs, good governance, counterterrorism efforts and its contributions for peace and security in the region.

He made clear that the President’s trip to Washington was not connected with her closed-door meeting with Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director Leon Panetta in Malacanang last Sunday. The President, accompanied by her security advisers, tackled the spate of bombing in Mindanao and other domestic and international security concerns with Panetta for half an hour in the Palace.

Remonde said the trip of the newly appointed CIA chief to Manila was part of a routine visit to check the situation in the Asia Pacific region. “They have taken up issues, the interests of America and the Philippines especially in combating terrorism,” he added.

Malacanang has been cautious in issuing statements about any planned meeting between Presidents Arroyo and Obama amid criticisms the US leader had allegedly snubbed his Philippine counterpart on a number of occasions. Government critics also accused the President of desperately seeking Obama with her alleged futile attempts to call and meet him following his victory last year.

So far, the two leaders have reaffirmed the strong alliance between Manila and Washington in their exchange of phone calls and letters.