Philippine President to India, Voicing ASEAN Priorities at BRICS Summit
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines is attending the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, to advocate for ASEAN priorities concerning peace and security, inclusive growth, and regional resilience.
The aircraft carrying President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marress, and several Philippine ministers arrived at Palam Air Force Base in New Delhi on Friday at 11:50 pm local time, according to a statement from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
As the Philippines holds the ASEAN chairmanship this year, Marcos will represent the Southeast Asian organisation at the BRICS Summit. He is also attending as a representative of the Philippines, which has been invited to participate in discussions and dialogues at the summit despite not being a member state.
Under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, this year’s BRICS Summit is held exactly 20 years after the BRICS group was established in 2006. Alongside Marcos, other world leaders present at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi include Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Other ASEAN leaders in attendance include Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, as a full member of BRICS, as well as Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, whose country serves as a BRICS partner.
Marcos will attend an open session of the BRICS Summit on 13 September, where he will present the priorities and achievements of the Philippine ASEAN chairmanship and discuss urgent issues impacting nations and emerging economies.
On the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Marcos will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss strengthening India-Philippines relations through cooperation in defence, trade, health, digital cooperation, tourism, connectivity, and people-to-people ties.
The Philippine President will also hold a series of meetings with Indian business leaders and corporations to promote investment opportunities and business expansion in the Philippines, specifically within the infrastructure, digitalisation, information technology, pharmaceuticals, transport, and logistics sectors.