PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. arrived in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night (US time) to attend the first trilateral summit with United States (US) President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The presidential plane carrying Marcos and the official Philippine delegation landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at around 7:47 p.m., Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement Thursday.
Marcos was welcomed by officials of the US government and the Philippine Embassy in Washington, which include US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, US Air Force’s 89 Operations Group Commander, Col. Gregory Adams; US Deputy Chief of Protocol Sharon Weber, US Defense Assistant Secretary Eli Ratner, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez, Philippine Defense Attache to the US, Navy Commodore Salvador Henry Quinto; and Philippine Police Attache to the US Brig. Gen. Wilson Joseph Lopez.
Before leaving Manila on Wednesday, Marcos said he would highlight the importance of enhancing the Philippines’ economic cooperation with Japan and the US “with a view to promoting economic resilience and security.”
Marcos intends to explore ways of advancing cooperation, especially in the areas of critical infrastructure, semiconductors, digitalization and cybersecurity, critical minerals, renewable energy, and defense and maritime cooperation.
The Chief Executive is also expected to exchange views with Biden and Kishida on various regional security issues of mutual concern, including the importance of upholding the rule of law and preserving the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.
During his two-day working visit to Washington, Marcos is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Biden to discuss the further strengthening of the alliance between the Philippines and the US.
Marcos is also scheduled to meet with business leaders in the US to invite them to invest in the Philippines. (PNA)
