THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Malacañang will be very busy these next few days arranging and preparing for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s two regional summits and one European trip.
The President is set to attend three international meetings before the year ends, making his schedule packed for the rest of the year.
In November, Marcos will have two international engagements in Asia as he is set to participate in the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Cambodia and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Thailand. The ASEAN Summit will be held in Phnom Penh from November 10 to 13, while APEC will be held in Bangkok from November 14 to 19.
Then in December, the President will fly to Belgium to attend the ASEAN-European Union (EU) Commemorative Summit, where an important trade deal between the two regions is expected to be discussed.
‘It is best for the Philippines to have a President that is active in international affairs, and it looks like President Bongbong Marcos will have a productive week shoring up the country’s image abroad.’
Foreign Affairs officials disclosed that the state leaders at the ASEAN Summit will discuss the development of the five-point consensus, which was agreed on by ASEAN member states to stop violence in junta-ruled Myanmar, and to call for a dialogue among concerned parties.
President Marcos will also take this opportunity to raise his concerns on food and energy security, on the South China Sea, on climate change, and on post-pandemic economic recovery.
Meanwhile, the President’s participation in the APEC will be “significant” considering that the Philippines is one of the founding members of the inter-governmental forum that is composed of 21 member states. The APEC economies account for 85 percent of total trade of the Philippines.
It is best for the Philippines to have a President that is active in international affairs, and it looks like President Bongbong Marcos will have a productive week shoring up the country’s image abroad.
