By Darryl John Esguerra
MANILA – United States (US) State Secretary Marco Rubio will pay a courtesy call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during his visit to Manila on July 19 to 23 for a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Monday confirmed Rubio will visit the Palace in Manila to meet with Marcos but did not provide further details.
Rubio is in the country to take part in ministerial meetings the Philippines is hosting as this year’s ASEAN chair.
His engagements include the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference, East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, where he is expected to meet with foreign ministers and senior officials from Southeast Asia and regional dialogue partners.
Marcos and Rubio spoke over the phone early last month and tackled regional developments, economic priorities and bilateral trade matters.
The Philippines and the US are treaty allies under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and have expanded cooperation in recent years through initiatives aimed at strengthening regional security, economic resilience and people-to-people ties.
Currently, the two countries, along with their other partners, are developing the Luzon Economic Corridor, an international infrastructure and supply chain initiative designed to connect Subic Bay, Clark, Metro Manila and Batangas. It focuses on high-impact investments to transform the region into a globally competitive, interconnected economic hub. (PNA)
