Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will visit the Philippines in August, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Saturday.
According to the President, the Singaporean leader “has already graced our invitation for him to visit and is planning a visit to our country in August. And the Prime Minister, he says, he will follow as quickly as he can.”
‘’And this is very important, as 2024 marks 55 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. We committed to work hard in pursuing the signing of three near completion MOUs by the time the Singaporean President visits Manila later this year,’’ President Marcos added.
Earlier, the two leaders had a meeting on bilateral relations before President Marcos’ keynote address at the 2024 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday.
President Marcos also earlier mentioned the “significant exchanges between the Philippines and Singapore particularly on people-to-people and efforts to address climate change, including the government’s bid to the Loss and Damage Fund Board.
Mr. Marcos meanwhile said he is committed to building on the successes of his recent visits to Brunei Darussalam and Singapore to advance the Philippines’ economic and security goals.
“My promise to all Filipinos, is we will use every opportunity and continue to build bridges that will ensure a long-lasting peace and stability in our region,” President Marcos stated upon his early morning return to Villamor Air Base on Saturday.
In Brunei, President Marcos met with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah to discuss their 40-year bilateral relationship.
They signed agreements on tourism, maritime cooperation, and seafarer training, and a letter of intent on agricultural cooperation. Mr. Marcos also engaged with Brunei’s business and energy sectors, fostering stronger economic ties.
In Singapore, President Marcos met with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
President delivered a keynote address at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, emphasizing the Philippines’ commitment to international law in maritime disputes.
“As a responsible member of the international community, I took the opportunity of the Shangri-La Dialogue to tell the representatives of at least 48 countries in front of me that the lines we draw on our waters are derived not from imagination, but from international law. Unlike others, we submitted our assertions to rigorous legal scrutiny by the world’s leading jurists,” he said.
He also met with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonyte and U.S. Congressional Delegation members to discuss future collaboration.