President Marcos is set to welcome New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Malacañang today (Thursday, April 18).
According to outgoing New Zealand Ambassador Peter Francis Tavita Kell, Luxon’s visit is part of concerted efforts to bolster ties between Wellington and Manila.
Kell underscored Luxon’s keen interest in the Philippines and his commitment to advancing President Marcos’s development agenda during a farewell call at Malacañang on Wednesday.
“He (Luxon) has been very clear that he wants to come to the Philippines. He knows the Philippines as you’ve explained. And he knows that it’s important,” Kell said
“And he knows what you’re trying to do and he wants to support. Having— putting it simply and so… his mission is to show the rest of his delegation [the] 25 tops business leaders. They should be doing more in this part of the world, they should be doing more in the Philippines,” he added.
Luxon is scheduled to meet President Marcos at the Palace on Thursday afternoon, where discussions are expected to center on bilateral cooperation and opportunities for collaboration in various sectors.
Diplomatic ties between the Philippines and New Zealand were established on July 6, 1966.
Trade and tourism have grown between the two nations, with New Zealand ranking as the 28th trading partner and 22nd source of visitors to the Philippines.