Several French ministers are set to visit the country this year to discuss possible new bilateral cooperation on the priority agenda of the Marcos administration, including infrastructure and agriculture, the Palace announced on Thursday.
This after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. extended the invitation to French President Emmanuel Macron to host the delegates from France during the telephone call between the two state leaders last Wednesday.
The country will be pursuing the bilateral talks, which were initiated during the 10th Philippine-France Joint Economic Committee Meeting last June.
“Many of the businessmen from France were able to speak to our ministers and some of the local businessmen as well [in the meeting],” Marcos told Macron in their phone conversation.
“And so if your ministers will come to visit the Philippines then that will be the next step from that beginning,” he added.
Among the matters, which were tackled in the joint Philippines-France economic committee meeting were infrastructure and transportation, aeronautics, energy, agriculture, electronics, maritime industry, and shipbuilding.
These include the government’s proposed pact with the French national space agency Centre National D’Etudes Spatiales and with the French civil aviation authority Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile.
As part of the government’s efforts to strengthen its partnership with France, Marcos invited Macron to visit the country so they can continue their “fruitful meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation [APEC] Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok last year.”
“Well, we have been working assiduously trying to make sure that what we discussed we follow up and we come to a good conclusion,” the Chief Executive said.
He also thanked Macron for supporting the country’s position of making international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as the basis for resolving territorial issues in the West Philippine Sea.
“It has been of great help the messages of support and even when you sent French vessels to come and patrol. So I have to thank you, Mr. President, and France,” the Chief Executive said.
