By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will hold a bilateral meeting with Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña Palacios in Manila next week, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced Tuesday.
This, as the Paraguayan president is set to undertake an official visit to the Philippines on May 11 upon the invitation of President Marcos Jr.
In a statement, the PCO said President Peña’s visit will be the first presidential-level engagement between the Philippines and Paraguay in over six decades of diplomatic ties.
It described the visit as a “significant milestone” in strengthening the two countries’ bilateral relations, which were established on Dec. 12, 1962.
“Paraguay is an emerging partner of the Philippines in Latin America, and both countries share common values rooted in democracy, rule of law, and a commitment to international cooperation,” the government’s lead communications arm said in a statement.
Peña will be accorded official honors at the Malacañan Palace, where he and Marcos Jr. are expected to discuss expanding cooperation in various areas, including trade and investment, and agriculture.
The PCO said that the official visit underscores the continued efforts of the Philippines to broaden its engagement as well as to diversify its economic partnerships with other nations, such as in Latin America.
-jpv
