Stronger PH-Australia ties seen

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PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. is looking forward to strengthening the bonds between the Philippines and Australia during his state visit to Canberra where he is set to address the Parliament of Australia.

The President and First lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos were welcomed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ms. Jodie Haydon shortly after their arrival in Canberra at 7:20 p.m. (4:11 p.m. in Manila) yesterday.

“Received such a warm welcome in Australia! We look forward to strengthening the bonds that underpin an open, peaceful and prosperous region,” the President said in a Facebook post after the welcome dinner hosted by the Prime Minister.

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The Presidential Communications Office said it was the first meeting of the two leaders since September 2023, when they signed the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership during Albanese’s visit to the Philippines.

Marcos, before leaving Manila, said he hopes to bring home a more robust, warmer, and closer Philippine-Australian relations, which is now over 70 years, spanning a wide and diverse range of areas, from defense and security to economic cooperation, and people-to-people cooperation.

The President said he looks forward to addressing the Parliament of Australia this morning, where he intends to provide greater detail on the commitments that the Philippines places in its partnership with Australia.

Marcos is also expected to meet with Governor General David Hurley during the visit.

Hurley represented Australia in visiting the Philippines during the inauguration ceremony of President Marcos in 2022.

The President said he also intends to discuss with Australian officials the growing relations between the Philippines and Australia on defense and security by highlighting the success of the “Exercise Alon” and the maritime cooperative activity last year under the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement with Australia.

Marcos said he will also talk about the huge potential in trade and investment that the two countries should maximize in the coming years.

“After all, economic security is a vital component of national security,” he said.

“Finally, I anticipate an enhancement of the mutual understanding between the Philippines and Australia as we share a common vision not just for our bilateral relations, but for the peace and security of the region as well,” he added.

The President said that during his trip, three agreements would be signed. No details about the agreements were available.

“Collaboration in these additional fields is a clear indication that the strategic partnership which we have embarked upon provides greater energy and optimism for closer cooperation that is mutually beneficial to both Filipinos and Australians,” Marcos said.

He asked Filipinos to pray for the success of his overnight trip as he urged everyone to continue supporting his administration.

MELBOURNE SUMMIT

The President is expected to return to Manila late today and fly back to Melbourne for the March 4 to 6 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu said Marcos’ attendance to the special summit is upon the invitation of Albanese.

Espiritu said the President may highlight the cooperation of the Philippines and Australia on maritime issues, climate change, clean energy, and people-to-people exchange during the summit, and encourage Australia to remain committed to peaceful resolution of disputes as well as maintain respect for rules-based order and multilateralism.

Marcos is expected to attend the Leaders’ Plenary and the Leaders’ Retreat on March 6 where he is expected to thank Australia for its unwavering support for the rule of law, the 1982 United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on the South China Sea.

The President may also highlight ASEAN-Australia cooperation on maritime issues, climate and clean energy track, people-to-people exchange, and economic cooperation.

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Daza said the South China Sea issue is expected to be raised, given that the Philippines has “strong” defense and security relations with Australia.

Espiritu said that on the sidelines of the summit, the President will have separate bilateral meetings with Cambodia and New Zealand. He did not elaborate.

He said Marcos would address the Lowy Institute on March 4 to highlight the Philippines’ role as “an active participant in world affairs and a contributor to the rules-based regional security architecture,” and met with the Filipino community.

The President is also expected to deliver a speech during the launch of the Victoria International Container Terminal, the first-fully automated container terminal of Australia, and attend a Philippine business forum in Melbourne to promote the country’s business climate and entice more investments.

Marcos’ two trips to Australia mark’s his third and fourth international travels this year, following his attendance to a royal wedding in Brunei and state visit to Vietnam.

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