Statement on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr's visit to London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on 5-6 May 2023

The President traveled to London to attend His Majesty King Charles Ill's Coronation Ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, 06 May, and H.M. The King's Reception for Overseas Representatives on Friday, 05 May, at Buckingham Palace. In the royal engagements, the President highlighted to H.M. The King the continued advancement of our bilateral relations, boosted by growing trade, investments and cultural exchanges between our two countries. The participation of the President in these events demonstrated to the United Kingdom that the Philippines places great importance in our diplomatic relations, and that such a momentous and historical occasion in British history merited the highest level of representation from the Philippines.

During the King's Reception, the President met with UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who invited the President to visit the UK for a longer meeting after the two discussed bilateral economic opportunities. PM Sunak expressed gratitude for Filipino health workers, who were essential in the UK during the pandemic.

The President also met on 5 May with representatives of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), one of the world's largest infrastructure investors. Led by their Chairman Adebayo Ogunlesi, GIP discussed with the President their know-hows on the development of world-class airport infrastructure, technology and operations. With such exclusive insights, the meeting surely contributed to the President's vision for safe, efficient, and sustainable airports in the Philippines.

These engagements are instrumental in sustaining the high-level exchanges between the Philippines and the UK, as both our countries strive to further grow our overall bilateral cooperation and enrich our Enhanced Partnership. Further, the President's decision to personally represent the Philippines not only in the UK during the Coronation but also in other overseas engagements shows the world that the leadership in the Philippines is ready to take on a more active international role in advocating its interests and underscoring the commonalities in values and goals with our foreign partners. END