MANILA: Canada’s Deputy Foreign Minister Leonard Edwards cut quite a figure when he turned up for a gala dinner at the Philippine presidential palace on Tuesday in his traditional — and very transparent — Philippine shirt.

The trouble is that all the other men were in suits and ties.

Like all male delegates at this week's Asian security meetings, Edwards had been provided with a barong, a fine hand-woven shirt that ministers dutifully don for certain meetings and photo shoots.

But not for a state dinner at the palace, where Edwards was mixing with the likes of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Prince Mohamed Bolkiah of Brunei.

Canadian officials could not immediately be reached for comment, but Edwards did not appear to be the happiest man in the room when the dinner's group photo was taken — and he ended up in the front row.

Nevertheless the minister put on his bravest face and smiled as he shook hands with another summit leader not wearing a tie — his host, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo.—AFP