PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Melbourne on Sunday, where he and the Philippine delegation were warmly welcomed by Australian government officials for the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.
The plane carrying the President arrived at Melbourne Airport at 7:15 pm local time or 4:15 pm Manila time.
PBBM’s participation in the Summit provides an opportunity for the Philippines to convey its key positions on regional and international issues.
“There will be two main engagements with the Leaders’ Plenary where we will take stock of ASEAN-Australia cooperation and propose ways forward to further bolster relations, and a Leaders’ Retreat where we will exchange candid views on key issues affecting our region and the world,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. stated.
The Chief Executive also thanked the Australian government for its unwavering support for the rule of law.
Marcos is expected to conduct bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers of Cambodia and New Zealand to further strengthen cooperation between the countries.
He will also meet with the Filipino community in Melbourne and promote business through the Philippine Business Forum of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“I also look forward to the launching of the expansion of the Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), Australia’s first, fully automated container terminal,” President Marcos added.
The bilateral relationship between the Philippines and Australia has reached 77 years since its establishment on July 4, 1946.
President Marcos and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed an agreement last September in a bid to elevate the Philippines-Australia bilateral relations from a comprehensive to a strategic partnership.
Melbourne continues to support the Philippines as the 11th largest source of total Official Development Assistance to the country, with grant commitments amounting to 180.4 million US dollars.
Australia serves as the second home to at least 408,000 Filipinos and Australians of Filipino descent.
