Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 4) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo will pay an official visit to the Philippines from Jan. 9 to 11, during which he will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Thursday.
The DFA said the meeting between the two leaders is slated for Jan. 10. and is “anticipated to take stock of the progress in Philippines-Indonesia relations\” after Marcos’ state visit to Widodo’s country in September 2022.
The officials are seen to reaffirm their commitment to deepening their countries’ ties, especially as the two nations celebrate the 75th anniversary of their formal diplomatic relations in November, it added.
“The Philippines and Indonesia, both founding members of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), are close neighbors and partners that have enjoyed longstanding and robust cooperation in a wide range of areas in the political, economic, and people-to-people relations, ” the DFA statement read.
Marcos’ trip to Jakarta in 2022 was his first state visit as president. In a televised statement, he had expressed optimism that there will be a stronger alliance between the two nations, as he and Widodo witnessed the signing of four key agreements on various sectors, including defense and security cooperation, as well as cultural ties.
Among the issues Marcos previously brought up with his Indonesian counterpart was the high-profile case of Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina on death row over drug charges.
