Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on state visit to Malaysia starting today

PUTRAJAYA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will undertake a State Visit to Malaysia from Tuesday to July 27, marking his inaugural visit to the country.

During the visit, Marcos will be received in a State Welcoming Ceremony at Istana Negara by Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on Wednesday.

"Subsequently, President Marcos Jr. will have an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong followed by a State Banquet in honour of the president and his delegation," said a statement from the Malaysian foreign ministry.

Marcos will be accompanied by the First Lady, Louise Araneta-Marcos, with the delegation comprising Cabinet Secretaries, elected representatives and senior officials of the Government of the Philippines.

The statement said Marcos is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, where both leaders are expected to exchange views on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The visit underscores the longstanding friendship and close ties between the two countries as close neighbours and partners in ASEAN, including through various high-level exchanges such as Anwar's recent official visit to Manila in March 2023.

In 2022, the Philippines was Malaysia's 15th largest trading partner globally and the 5th largest among the ASEAN Member States, with total trade amounting to RM41.45 billion (US$9.42 billion) - an increase of 20.1 per cent compared to the recorded value in 2021.

-- BERNAMA