The Philippines and Australia have developed their relations further by having President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. address the Australian Parliament during his two-day visit, where he described the future as “forward-looking and law-abiding.”
“Australia remains, and will continue to be, one of our closest friends. In the spirit of Bayanihan and mateship, we shall forge ahead in fully maximizing the potentials and the gains from this Strategic Partnership between our two forward-looking, law-abiding maritime states,” Marcos Jr. said.
Marcos also added: “I conveyed to Australian legislators the important role of both our countries as proponents of the rules-based international order and its significance amidst the present complexities in global geopolitics.”
During his speech before parliament, Marcos pledged to resist efforts by foreign rivals to seize any amount of Philippine territory. He said the presence of the Chinese navy in the surrounding waters is “worrisome.” However, he maintained that the Philippines would defend its land and fishermen.
Australia and the Philippines signed three agreements relating to the maritime domain, technology, and how to implement the two countries’ competition laws and policies.
