EU Commission chief to visit Philippines

CEBU, Philippines —  All set for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's official visit to the Philippines on July 31 to August 1, 2023.

Accordingly, von der Leyen is the first European Commission president to ever pay an official visit to the Republic of the Philippines in almost six decades of diplomatic relations.

The EU Commission president is coming to the country following the invitation of the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The two leaders met during the EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in December 2022 which was held in Brussels.

The visit aims to give a new impetus to the EU-Philippines bilateral relations and engage in discussions on matters of mutual interest, in particular in the ears of trade, the green and digital transition and security.

Expected during the visit are discussions on trade, investment and Global Gateway cooperation.

The EU’s Global Gateway Strategy aims to address partner countries’ infrastructure needs while addressing the most pressing global challenges.

These include inter alia fighting climate change, improving health systems and boosting competitiveness and security of global supply chains.

During her visit, President von der Leyen will also speak at a high-level business event organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) in partnership with the Makati Business Club (MBC). (CEBU NEWS)