President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he received and accepted invitations to visit at least five countries “at some point.”
“What countries have invited me? All. What countries will I accept? All,” the President told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok.
He then mentioned France, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Australia and Vietnam.
“All of them, even in the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). Vietnam because we have so many connections already at least on the private sector side,” he said.
“[State and official visits] are always useful,” added the President.
In his last day in Bangkok yesterday, the President held several bilatetal meetings where trade, security, energy and OFW concerns were discussed.
In his meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the latter expressed commitment to improving
PBBM accepts… the welfare and addressing the needs of overseas Filipino workers.
“The diaspora has really become a significant part of our culture,” Mr. Marcos said.
Ardern said New Zealand is keen on collaborating with Filipino farmers on new innovations in farming to increase sustainability and productivity.
Mr. Marcos noted the Philippines and New Zealand’s partnership in trade has grown “at a steady pace.”
“And we want perhaps after things open up even more and come back to what we all considered to be normal, it would increase. The population of the Philippines is growing, and the continuing need to trade,” the President told Ardern.
In his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, which Mr. Marcos described as “very extensive and quite productive,” the two leaders focused on three major items: agriculture, energy, and defense.
The chief executive also said he also energy with Macron because France is a leading proponent of nuclear energy.
“I’m very confident that it will be a strong partnership simply because they have up to 67 percent of their power production is from nuclear energy so they are very, very used to it,” Mr. Marcos said.
Agriculture and energy collaboration were also the focus in his bilateral discussion with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“We have many, many connections that we, I think, we can strengthen and promote further: the areas of agriculture, the areas of renewable energy,” Mr. Marcos said.