Marcos welcomes EU Commission president's PH visit
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. welcomed the upcoming visit of the European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen, saying it could bring the Philippines and the European Union (EU) even closer.
*PH-EU TIES — President Marcos holds a bilateral meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit in Brussels, Belgium, on December 14, 2022. (RTVM Screenshot/File photo)*
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said this ahead of von der Leyen's visit to the Philippines from July 30 to Aug. 1. According to the PCO, this would be the first visit of a European Commission President in the nearly 60 years of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and the EU. "Philippines-EU bilateral relations have enjoyed a strong positive momentum over the past year," it said. "President von der Leyen's visit is hoped to bring the Philippines and the EU even closer, as both countries step up cooperation activities in trade, economic cooperation, development cooperation, maritime cooperation, climate and environment, space cooperation, and digital connectivity, among other sectors," it added. While in the Philippines, President von der Leyen will also meet other Philippine government officials and private business and civic entities. Marcos and von der Leyen first met in Brussels, Belgium, when the latter hosted the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for the ASEAN-EU Summit in December last year. The two leaders also had a [bilateral meeting](https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/15/european-commission-offers-help-to-remedy-phs-maritime-education-deficiencies-marcos) wherein Marcos said the EC had pledged to help the Philippines fix its long-time unresolved deficiencies in its maritime education to finally secure European accreditation.
*PH-EU TIES — President Marcos holds a bilateral meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit in Brussels, Belgium, on December 14, 2022. (RTVM Screenshot/File photo)*
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said this ahead of von der Leyen's visit to the Philippines from July 30 to Aug. 1. According to the PCO, this would be the first visit of a European Commission President in the nearly 60 years of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and the EU. "Philippines-EU bilateral relations have enjoyed a strong positive momentum over the past year," it said. "President von der Leyen's visit is hoped to bring the Philippines and the EU even closer, as both countries step up cooperation activities in trade, economic cooperation, development cooperation, maritime cooperation, climate and environment, space cooperation, and digital connectivity, among other sectors," it added. While in the Philippines, President von der Leyen will also meet other Philippine government officials and private business and civic entities. Marcos and von der Leyen first met in Brussels, Belgium, when the latter hosted the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for the ASEAN-EU Summit in December last year. The two leaders also had a [bilateral meeting](https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/15/european-commission-offers-help-to-remedy-phs-maritime-education-deficiencies-marcos) wherein Marcos said the EC had pledged to help the Philippines fix its long-time unresolved deficiencies in its maritime education to finally secure European accreditation.