MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and US President Joe Biden are expected to meet on Thursday, September 22 — Friday, Manila time — to discuss issues such as the state of the global economy and the South China Sea.
Marcos previously said he hoped to get to meet Biden and other leaders on the sidelines of the the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
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"It will be a good opportunity for a treaty ally of the United States with a new president who's making his first trip to New York to have his first meeting with President Biden, who obviously has never had the opportunity to sit down with him before," a senior White House official told reporters.
Marcos delivered the national statement before the UNGA last Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time). It is his first appearance on the international stage as the country's chief executive although he has gone on state visits to Indonesia and Singapore.
The White House said Biden is looking forward to talk to Marcos about how the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework can be utilized to improve rules in the region.
Both leaders are expected to discuss the two countries' security relationship and "the full breadth of issues in the alliance."
Biden was among the first world leaders to congratulate Marcos via a phone call when he won the national elections in May. — Kaycee Valmonte