Marcos hoping to meet Biden on sidelines of UNGA

NEW JERSEY – President Marcos is hoping to meet US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where several world leaders will articulate their positions on key global issues.

Speaking before the Filipino community here yesterday, Marcos said the Philippines needs to talk to and forge partnerships with other countries so it could recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said he would share his views on a number of global concerns and discuss the role the Philippines would play as a responsible member of the family of nations in addressing these issues.

Marcos said leaders are expected to meet with each other in separate meetings after delivering their respective speeches before the assembly.

“I am hoping to be able to meet President Joseph Biden and other world leaders on the sides of the UN General Assembly,” the President said.

“So aside from President Biden, I think we will be able to meet with some other heads of state and, as I said, some heads of big companies. After all, our bilateral alliance with the United States is possibly as important a policy as there is in the Philippines,” he added.

Marcos said the Philippines’ relations with the US, its traditional ally, remain “strong.”

“I believe we will make them stronger in the coming years,” he added.

In an interview with CNN Philippines last week, Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said Marcos would meet with at least six heads of state on the sidelines of the UNGA.

While Biden will host a reception for all the leaders who will attend the event, there was no confirmation yet if Marcos and Biden would have a bilateral meeting.

According to Romualdez, Biden had said that he would be going to London for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and “that kind of changed a lot of schedules.”

Marcos’ participation in the UNGA marked the first time a Philippine president visited the US in six years. The last Philippine president who set foot in the US was the late Benigno Aquino III, who attended the Special ASEAN-US Summit in 2016.