PUTRAJAYA: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah (pix) will underake a working visit to the Philippines from today until July 1 to attend the inauguration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr on June 30.
The visit is a manifestation of the close bilateral ties between Malaysia and the Philippines since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1959, according to a statement from the Malaysian Foreign Ministry.
Malaysia stands ready to further enhance our relations with the Philippines under the leadership of Marcos, in the context of bilateral cooperation between the two close neighbours, within the framework of ASEAN and multilateral fora, the statement read.
Marcos Jr is the republic’s 17th President after winning the presidential election in May.
During the visit, Saifuddin is also scheduled to hold an engagement session with Keluarga Malaysia residing in Manila.
In 2021, the Philippines was the 15th largest trading partner of Malaysia, with the total trade amounting to RM32.53 billion (US$7.84 billion), an increase of 24.6 per cent compared to the value recorded in 2020. — Bernama
