Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 27) – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will be flying to France for a state visit some time in June after accepting the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
This was revealed by French Ambassador Michèle Boccoz during the celebration of the Élysée Treaty on Friday.
Speaking to reporters, the envoy said preparations are underway for the state visit. The last state visit in Paris by a Philippine president was in 1989.
“Our President has sent a written letter of invitation for President Marcos which I conveyed to Malacañang Palace, which could take place on the half of the year,” Boccoz said.
“It’s really a landmark to our bilateral relations, and we want to be as fruitful as possible,” she added.
The ambassador said Philippine and French officials will meet on March 8 to iron out the details of the state visit. Boccoz added that as far as they know, Marcos has accepted the invitation and they are only looking for a suitable time and date.
“We will be having high level discussion to set the agenda, the program, the dates and so on,” Boccoz said.
The French diplomat added that June is the initial target for the state visit, saying it is the perfect time to visit France.
Among possible agreements to be signed during the visit could involve film collaborations, information and communication and technology deals, and energy and climate change solutions.
“Maritime and security sector, food security issue, energy security and all the global issues these are some of the priority areas,” the French envoy added.
This is not the first time Marcos would meet Macron. The two met on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Thailand last November.
