Upcoming Marcos-Biden meeting 'significant, historic' for PH-US ties - envoy

Posted to CNN Philippines (Apr 21, 2023): Upcoming Marcos-Biden meeting 'significant, historic' for PH-US ties - envoy (By Tristan Nodalo)

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 21) — The upcoming official visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Washington and his bilateral meeting with United States President Joe Biden is "significant and historic" for both countries, according to Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez.

"It will be a significant and historic meeting between two leaders of two countries with aligned and common interests," Romualdez told CNN Philippines.

He said these high-level visits between Manila and Washington officials are part of the current administration's strategy.

Apart from the bilateral meeting, Marcos will also have a very full three-day schedule during his visit.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Marcos will be in the US on April 30 to May 4.

"He will be meeting with business leaders, he will also be having bilateral meetings with Cabinet members of the Biden administration. He will also be talking about energy and climate change,” Romualdez said.

The envoy added that the issue on the four new additional sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA may not be extensively discussed since it was already raised during the 2+2 meeting early this month between defense and foreign affairs officials.

Marcos and Biden first met in New York during the United Nations General Assembly in September last year.

The two leaders also had a brief encounter on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Cambodia.

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/4/21/marcos-biden-upcoming-bilateral-meeting.html