FILE PHOTO: Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands with Pres. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during the former’s courtesy call in Malacañang. Image from the Office of the President
Berlin — President Marcos will meet United States secretary of State Antony Blinken when the latter visits Manila next week to discuss the strengthening of defense and economic ties between the US, Philippines and Japan.
Foreign affairs secretary Enrique Manalo confirmed that Blinken will arrive on March 18 in the evening and that the US secretary of state will meet Marcos in Malacañang during his visit.
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“It’s confirmed. Secretary Blinken will be arriving on the 18th, in the evening. On the 19th, I think he will call on the President late in the day,” Manalo said in a press conference with reporters.
The President also confirmed that he will be meeting with Blinken on Tuesday but left the details of the schedule for Manalo to answer.
“I will be seeing, meeting with Secretary Blinken on Tuesday… What is confirmed so far is the meeting with him,” Marcos said.
As to Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa, Manalo said the Department of Foreign Affairs has not yet received a confirmation if Kamikawa will be coming to Manila for a trilateral ministerial meeting with Manalo and Blinken.
The three officials were supposed to meet on March 20 for a trilateral ministerial meeting on bolstering defense and economic relations between the US, Philippines and Japan.
Marcos said he hoped to strengthen the cooperation between the three countries and formalize this cooperation.
“At this point, that’s part of the discussion that we will be having, exactly what will be put in any such agreement. It is probably just formalizing what we are already doing, to put a bit more structure as to operability,” he said.
The President went on: “That is still in flux, we have to talk about it some more. And let’s wait for the developments that will come from Washington DC, Tokyo and here in Manila.”