WASHINGTON/MANILA: US President Joe Biden will meet his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House on May 1 to discuss economic cooperation and the Indo-Pacific region, Manila and Washington said on Friday.
The treaty allies have enjoyed warmer ties since Marcos took office last June, reversing his predecessor’s anti-US stance.
Next month’s bilateral talks will be the latest in a series of high-level meetings the Philippines has conducted with leaders of the United States and China, both of which are jostling for strategic advantage in the region.
Biden and Marcos will discuss economic and defense cooperation, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
“During the visit, President Biden will reaffirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines, and the leaders will discuss efforts to strengthen the longstanding US-Philippines alliance,” the statement said.
In what will be his second trip to the United States in less than a year, the presidential palace said on Friday that Marcos will travel to Washington from April 30 to May 4 to meet Biden and key cabinet officials. –Agencies
