PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. went to the United States for the conduct of a trilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Marcos and his delegation arrived in Washington, DC at 7:47 p.m. (US time) for a two-day working visit.
He is scheduled to meet Biden and Kishida to enhance the economic and maritime cooperation of the three countries.
Marcos said he also intends to explore ways of advancing cooperation, especially in the areas of critical infrastructure, semiconductors, digitalization and cybersecurity, among others.
“It is my intention also to exchange views with my US and Japanese counterparts on various regional security issues of mutual concern, while continuing to reiterate the importance of upholding the rule of law and preserving the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
“The main intent of this trilateral agreement is for us to be able to continue to flourish, to be able to help one another, and of course, to keep the South China Sea as a freedom -- to keep the peace in the South China Sea and the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea,” he added.
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manual Romualdez earlier said that the Philippine government is looking into generating around $100 billion investments particularly in the sectors of energy and digital infrastructure, among others, in the next five to 10 years as a result of the ‘historic’ trilateral meeting.
Romauldez said Marcos is also expected to meet with the officials of Ultra Safe, one of the biggest contenders supplying small modular nuclear power plants, to discuss its plans of supplying small nuclear power plants in the country.
Marcos will also meet with several businessmen in the US. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)