President of the Republic of the Philippines Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Istana today. They reaffirmed the warm friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between Singapore and the Philippines, as both countries commemorate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year. President Tharman and President Marcos Jr. had a good discussion on the common challenge of climate change, and ways for both countries to work closely together in emerging areas such as the green economy, smart and sustainable infrastructure, and innovation.
President Marcos Jr. also met Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong at the Istana. The Leaders noted the excellent state of economic cooperation between the two countries. They welcomed the upgrading of the bilateral Air Services Agreement and agreed that this would strengthen air connectivity and facilitate the people and cargo flows between the two countries and beyond. Both Leaders looked forward to expanding bilateral cooperation in new growth areas such as the digital economy, carbon credits and renewable energy. They agreed that the progress made in bilateral cooperation could serve as a building block towards a more integrated ASEAN.
President Marcos Jr. also met Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. They welcomed the progress made in strengthening bilateral relations over the past few years. They discussed the use of social media as a source of information, and the need to manage the risks and challenges it brings to societies. They agreed on the importance of continued cooperation and information sharing to counter the threat posed by extremism.
President Marcos Jr. is in Singapore from 29 May to 1 June 2024. He is delivering the Keynote Address at the 21st edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, this evening.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
31 MAY 2024