Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday delivered a policy speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, emphasizing the close relationship between the Philippines and the United States.
According to Marcos, the two nations are united by shared values and a commitment to mutual prosperity, and must work together to achieve their common goal noting that they are "naturally drawn to each other."
"The future of the United States will hold more promise if the US works closely — hand-in-hand, shoulder-to-shoulder, in lockstep — with the Philippines," he said.
Over the past 20 months, Manila and Washington have seen a steady exchange of official engagements at all levels of government, including Marcos' first meeting with President Biden and his current visit to the United States, the first by a sitting Philippine president in over a decade.
Marcos stated that the Philippines is poised to become an upper-middle-income country and the 16th largest economy in the world by 2040.
"For more than a hundred million Filipinos, ensuring their economic well-being and uplifting their quality of life has always been the priority of this administration," he added.
In his speech, Marcos also highlighted key areas of cooperation between the two nations, including agriculture, energy, and infrastructure, in order to mitigate and adapt to climate change and global security challenges.
