Maria Viktoria Viado
Nov 22, 2022
Marcos Jr. concludes a successful trip to Thailand for his first Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.
During the three-day summit, the President had the chance to relay his sentiments and plans on different global issues, on the economy.
CHINA
The President described the quick bilateral meeting as “a very pleasant exchange.” Strengthening and expanding the Philippines-China relationship was the main focus of the meeting.
THAILAND
Another Thai business that plans to expand its business in the Philippines is the Siam Cement Group (SCG) to show support to the administration’s infrastructure and development projects.
SAUDI ARABIA
PBBM invited Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for a state visit to the Philippines, giving them more time to discuss a wide range of issues and areas of cooperation.
The Philippines already received great news that the Saudi Arabia government will shoulder the unpaid salaries of around 10,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who worked for Saudi construction companies that declared bankruptcy in 2015 and 2016.
It was accepted by PBBM saying it was the “best gift” for OFWs. In addition, the President shared that there will be a new opportunity for the Philippines to send more workers overseas with its new massive development plan as the Kingdom expands its economy.
FRANCE
Agriculture, energy, and defense were the points of discussion during the bilateral meeting between PBBM and French President Emmanuel Macron.
NEW ZEALAND
Another leader the President exchanged ideas with was New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
The meeting highlights the strengthened cooperation between the Philippines and New Zealand on better trade and security efforts.
AUSTRALIA
After a brief meeting during the Australia-ASEAN Summit, PBBM and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met again for a bilateral meeting at this year's APEC Summit.
The meeting concluded with the plan that the Philippines and Australia can collaborate further on agriculture and energy as well as other areas of concern.
The APEC Summit seemed like a continuation of the ASEAN trip of PBBM and his economic team.
Aside from the expected discussions on the economy, the President had a chance to reiterate his stance on several regional and global issues – climate crisis, food security, and others.
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