President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will sign agreements to further boost ties with Indonesia and Singapore during President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s inaugural state visits to the two Asean neighbors starting Sunday.
Marcos is scheduled to visit Indonesia and meet with President Joko Widodo from September 4 to 6.
He will be in Singapore from September 6 to 7 to meet with President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Marcos said he will be discussing with Widodo “the current state and the future as we see it of the bilateral relationship between the Philippines and Indonesia and the changing global geopolitical environment.”
Several agreements between the two countries are expected to be signed, including agreements on defense and security, as well as creative economy and culture.
“Our foreign ministers [also] look forward to signing the Philippine-Indonesia plan of action for the next five years which commits our two countries to projects and activities covering the full range of our bilateral ties,” said Marcos.
“Beyond that we will also be seeking the partnership and the help of our friends in Indonesia for the investment in the areas where we see that they can be of assistance especially in the critical areas as we have identified in agriculture and energy,” he added.
Marcos said that he will likewise renew the Philippines’ and Singapore’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations, as well as explore options for advancing economic ties and discuss regional and global issues.
He also bared that the two countries will also sign several agreements, citing Singapore as the the Philippines’ top trading partner in Asean and the top source of approved investments in 2021.
“My state visits to our Asean neighbors will seek to harness the potentials of our vibrant trade and relations,” said Marcos.
Economic briefings, business forums, and meetings have also been organized “to proactively create and attract more investments and buyers for our exports in order to accelerate the post pandemic growth of our economy.”
“I expect that we will be coming back with a harvest of business deals to be signed in my state visits that will further strengthen our economic ties with both Indonesia and Singapore,” he added.
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