MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has returned back home following his two-day working visit to the United States (US) for a trilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio where he secured support for Philippine development from the two leaders.
The plane carrying the President and his delegation landed at 3:03 a.m. at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
In his arrival remarks, Marcos said Biden and Kishida declared their support for the infrastructure development and connectivity in the Philippines through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI).
He added that the two leaders also supported the Philippines’ implementation of the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN), workforce development for the semiconductor industry, capacity-building in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and the country’s membership in the Minerals Security Partnership Forum.
‘We also exchanged views on a nu
mber of regional security issues of mutual concern. I took the opportunity to update President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida on the latest developments in the South China Sea, including the recent incident at Ayungin Shoal,’ Marcos said.
Marcos added they have also reaffirmed their commitment to a peaceful, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
‘We explored ways of enhancing our cooperation in a number of areas of mutual concern, including in enhancing economic resilience and security, promoting inclusive growth and development, addressing climate change, and maritime cooperation,’ Marcos said.
On the sidelines of the first-ever trilateral summit, Marcos also had a bilateral meeting with Biden where they reaffirmed their commitment to the long-standing Philippines-US alliance.
He also met with US business leaders and encouraged them to invest in the Philippines.
The diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the US span 77 years since its formal establishment on July 4, 1946, while the Philip
pines and Japan have celebrated 67 years of normalized relations since July 23, 1956 and 12 years of strengthened Strategic Partnership since 2011.
Source: Philippines News Agency