Marcos to visit Brunei, Singapore to boost ties
Source: The Manila times
Author: Catherine S. Valente
MANILA, Philippines -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to travel to Brunei and Singapore next week for back-to-back visits aimed at further strengthening security and economic relations, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.
In a pre-departure briefing in Malacañang, Foreign Affairs spokesman Ma. Teresita Daza said Marcos would be in Brunei on May 28 and 29 for a state visit, and in Singapore on May 30 and 31 for the International Institute For Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue.
Daza said First Lady Marie Louise "Liza" Araneta-Marcos would accompany the President during these foreign trips.
DFA spokesman Ma. Teresita Daza. Photo from PNA
"While in Brunei, the President will be meeting with His Majesty, the Sultan, who is also Sultan Head of State of Brunei Darussalam," Daza told reporters.
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"The President will also meet with the Filipino community where he will highlight contributions of more than 20,000 Filipinos currently residing in Brunei," she added.
The DFA official also said there would be business forums and meetings where Marcos was expected to promote trade and investment relations between the Philippines and Brunei.
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"The Philippines and Brunei are strong regional partners, are members of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation), Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area)," she said.
Meanwhile, Daza said Marcos would deliver the keynote address at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, which would take place in Singapore on May 31.
The President's speech will mark the opening of the 21st edition of the dialogue, which is Asia's premier defense summit.
"The Shangri-La Dialogue is an annual inter-governmental security forum held in Singapore and it started in 2002. It is organized by the IISS or International Institute of Strategic Studies which is a leading think-tank specializing in security and defense issues," Daza said.
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"The Dialogue will provide a good platform for defense ministers, military chiefs, government officials and security experts around the world to discuss and address regional and global security challenges," she added.
While in Singapore, Daza also said that Marcos would meet Singapore's new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the sidelines of the dialogue.
"The President, likewise, will have a brief meeting with the former Prime Minister and currently Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue," she said.