Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Republic of the Philippines after his yesterday’s visit to Singapore for the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue Summit. It was the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries in the history of their 32-year bilateral relations, Zelenskyy’s Office reported on 3 June.
According to the Ukrainian President’s Office, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Marcos for the Philippines’ support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as important UN resolutions condemning Russian aggression.
“I am very happy to be in your country for the first time. We are thankful for your clear position on the Russian aggression against our country,” the Ukrainian leader noted.
Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine will open its embassy in the Philippines this year to strengthen cooperation between the nations. He also spoke about preparations for the first Global Peace Summit and emphasized the importance of Southeast Asian countries’ representation, with the Philippines agreeing to participate.
The President’s Office says the two presidents discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, including the supply of Ukrainian agricultural products to the Philippines. The Philippines had supported Ukraine by voting for a resolution on its territorial integrity at the UN General Assembly in 2014 and strongly condemning Russian aggression after the full-scale invasion began. Around 95 Ukrainians currently reside in the Philippines.
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