President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. will have at least 10 bilateral meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - European Union (ASEAN-EU) Commemorative Summit that will be held in Brussels from Dec. 12 to 14.

In a media briefing on Friday, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu said the President will meet the top officials of Belgium, Estonia, Czech Republic, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Finland, Netherlands, and the European Union.

Marcos will also have one-on-one meetings with big corporations.

Espiritu said these meetings are expected to yield investments to open more direct and indirect jobs for Filipinos.

Marcos will also participate in a roundtable discussion with the EU and European corporations to “expand trade and investment policies to attract more investment.”

“Kasama din dito ‘yung networking among Filipino businessmen and European businessmen. Hopefully, for this networking, the Filipino businessmen will be able to come up with deals with their European counterparts,” Espiritu added.

On the first day of the ASEAN EU, the DFA assistant secretary said Marcos is expected to deliver the opening and closing remarks and make his omnibus intervention as head of the Philippine delegation.

The President will raise the country’s “priorities and concerns,” Espiritu said.

These include post-pandemic recovery, economic recovery, energy, and food security, addressing disruption on the supply chain, maritime security, digital economy, climate action, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Alongside, Marcos will tackle international and regional development such as the South China Sea, Ukraine, and other developments.

The President will also meet the Filipino community in Belgium, the DFA assistant secretary said.