President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. emphasized on Tuesday the importance of keeping the bilateral ties between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam strong to sustain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
In his remarks during the state banquet hosted by His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, President Marcos said the close bilateral relationship between the two nations has continued for several years already through various changes they went through.
President Marcos said his first state visit to the Sultanate is important amid “many global challenges for which Brunei and the Philippines have very many common interests.”
“And so, it is important that we continue to work together on 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.
“And 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 for this state visit to once more give an added impetus and warmth and inspiration to the relationship between our two countries,” he added.
President Marcos and the Sultan witnessed on the same day the signing of three memoranda of understanding (MOU) and one letter of intent (LOI) between the Philippines and Brunei, which aimed to further strengthen the two countries’ bilateral ties on maritime cooperation, tourism, among others.
The Chief Executive said the signing of MOUs and the LOI is a significant step of the two countries.
President Marcos extended his gratitude to the Sultan, Royal Family and the people of Brunei for extending to his party their very kind and warm hospitality. He celebrated the “birth of new time” for the two countries’ bilateral ties.
President Marcos 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. PND
