Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 18) — Peruvian leader Dina Boluarte has invited President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to visit her country next year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the two nations’ formal relations.
Boluarte extended the invitation during a bilateral meeting with Marcos on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California on Friday.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you officially for [an] official state visit to Peru to celebrate 50 years of our bilateral ties, and next year it is going to be 50 years,” the Peruvian president said. “So, we’d be honored if you can pay a state visit to us to commemorate.”
Marcos thanked Boluarte, saying he looks forward to coming to the capital city Lima, as Peru is also set to chair and host the APEC next year.
During the meeting, Boluarte also expressed hope for the Philippines to establish an embassy in Peru, where there are around 160 Filipinos as of September 2022. Malacañang said most of them are professionals, service and sales workers, missionaries, and students.
According to Boluarte, Peru will open its embassy in Manila after closing it in 2003 as part of their austerity program.
“This will be a very important step in shortening the distance and shortening time in order to continue the ties between the Philippines and Peru,” she said.
The Peruvian leader is also seeking a trade partnership that will allow the South American country to ship its agricultural products, such as grapes, avocados, and blueberries to the Philippines.
Marcos, for his part, said it is time for both countries to pursue stronger ties post-pandemic.
“I find that this is important in this time, in our history, because of the importance of alliances and the partnerships that we forge in this time as we are trying to recover, to transform the economies after the pandemic, and in the face of the many geopolitical shocks that both our countries are feeling,” the president told Boluarte.
