President Marcos vowed to keep stronger bilateral ties between the Philippines and Brunei during a dinner hosted by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on Tuesday evening.
He said their friendship has stayed strong despite many changes over the years.
On his first visit to Brunei, President Marcos talked about how both countries have similar interests, especially with all the problems happening around the world.
“It is important that we continue to work together on a bilateral basis, also together with ASEAN, with BIMP-EAGA in all of these methods by which we can plan together for our own communities, for the peace and the stability of the region,” President Marcos said.
BIMP-EAGA stands for Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area, a cooperation initiative established in 1994 to spur development in the four participating Southeast Asian nations.
Mr. Marcos asked Bolkiah to keep working together to improve working relations “not only for Asia, but for the Indo-Pacific” as well.
“It is important that those partnerships now be brought back into the modern world. And I look forward [to] this state visit to once more give an added impetus and warmth and inspiration to the relationship between our two countries,” President Marcos stated.
President Marcos and the Sultan also led the signing of agreements about working together on ships, tourism, and more.
The President is embarking on a two-day state visit to Brunei Darussalam, which coincides with the 40th Independence anniversary of the Sultanate and the 40th anniversary of the close and enduring cooperation between the Philippines and Brunei formalized on January 1, 1984.