Marcos skipping Ukraine Peace Summit, Galvez to attend

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. meets Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky during a courtesy call at the Malacañan Palace on Monday, June 3, 2024. The two leaders attended the IISS Shangri-la Dialogue Defense Summit in Singapore, but their schedules did not align to meet on the sidelines of the forum held over the weekend. (KJ ROSALES/PPAPOOL)

MANILA, Philippines —  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. won’t be attending the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland and will instead be represented by Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Carlito Galvez Jr.

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Tuesday, Marcos designated Galvez to represent the Philippines in the summit.

“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has designated Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Carlito G. Galvez Jr. as the representative of the Philippines to the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland,” the PCO said without providing further details.

READ: Swiss summit on Ukraine set to thrash out path to peace

This came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally visited the Philippines to invite Marcos to attend the Swiss-organized summit, which will be held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland from June 15 to 16.

READ: Zelensky in PH to promote peace summit he says China, Russia trying to undermine

Apart from the Philippines, more than 160 delegations from different countries and organizations were invited.

Among those confirmed attending are French President Emmanuel Macron, US Vice President Kamala Harris, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.