AMBASSADOR Luc Véron on May 30 relayed the congratulatory messages of European Union leaders to president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through the letters of the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.
Véron likewise conveyed the wishes of all EU member-states ambassadors to meet Marcos at the earliest opportunity.
The ambassador welcomed the importance the president-elect attached to the enhanced partnership between the Philippines and the EU, as the former presented the scope of the two states’ bilateral relationship ranging from trade and investments supported by the Generalized System of Preferences-Plus, or GSP+, to the extensive cooperation on a variety of areas covering justice system, socioeconomic development, sustainable energy, as well as governance and normalization in Mindanao and vaccination against the pandemic.
He recalled the importance of accountability and rule of law, including the respect for human rights in the overall context of the mutual ties. Both sides agreed that addressing climate change and the green economic recovery from the pandemic must be at the forefront of the partnership. The EU side conveyed its readiness to stay engaged, at the government’s wishes, to further consolidate the peace process in the Bangsamoro Region.
The EU envoy concurred with Marcos Jr. on the need to respect international law in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS, and its dispute-settlement mechanisms. Further, Véron highlighted the importance of multilateral institutions, respecting the UN charter and the shared interest between the Philippines and the EU to continue defending peace and a rules-based multilateral order in Europe, Asia and the world.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to meet President-elect Marcos ahead of his inauguration. We had an excellent conversation about the state of the world, and his ambitions for the Philippines in the coming years,” Véron said. “I am also heartened to hear that [he] is willing to work with the EU and its member-states. I do not doubt that the EU-Philippines cooperation based on shared values and objectives will deepen under the Marcos administration.”
The ambassador highlighted the EU’s importance attached to its Strategic Partnership with Asean. He recalled that Marcos would be invited to attend the 45th year of EU-Asean relations commemorative summit in Brussels on December 14.
The EU’s High Representative Josep Borrell had previously congratulated the Philippines and its president-elect on May 12.