The Philippines intends to seek defense and security alliances with European countries, including the United Kingdom, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has told a visiting British official.

During his meeting with UK Foreign Secretary James Spencer Cleverly in Malacañang on Tuesday, Aug. 29, Marcos said turning to Europe to forge defense and security alliances is a "new development" the Philippines is embracing.

"And the new development in terms of security and defense. It is not traditional for us to look to Europe for our… to seek alliances and partnerships when it comes to security and defense. But that seems to be the evolution, the geopolitics these days," Marcos said.

"It is a welcome evolution in my view, and again your visit here I think, is a clear indication of that intent," he added as he welcomed Cleverly in the Palace.

Cleverly, on the other hand, told the President that the Philippines and the UK  are "very much like-minded, with very, very similar attitudes to world affairs, and very similar appetites to try and make the most of the bilateral relationship as well as the UK’s focus on Southeast Asia."

Both officials expressed intention to bolster the two countries' trade relationship.

Marcos said the Philippines is "not quite at pre-pandemic levels" when it comes to transforming the economy amid the impacts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, "but we are fast approaching that."

He noted that the new development post-pandemic "is really the turn of the EU (European Union) in general, European countries as well."
 

"[T]here is a shift for Europe to look post-pandemic to the region, to Asia, Southeast Asia, to begin with for the transformation of our economies, and to improve the positioning of all our economies, post-pandemic. I think that’s basically, what we have to face," Marcos further said.

Cleverly said the UK is "now looking towards enhancing the trade relationship" which, he said, "is in a good place, that there is still growth."

"I know that you are very focused on attracting investment into the country and I’ve been discussing with our ambassador about UK export finance facility which I hope would encourage UK companies to invest more broadly," he said.

"And I know you’re very focused to your country’s response to climate change, renewable energy generation and how you deal with the sad implications of that. And I think once again that’s an area where we can work very, very closely together," the British official added.

He further said that his country sees "lots of opportunities to build on what is a really positive bilateral relationship."

Cleverly also thanked the President for "the number of occasions where your country has been supportive of the UK’s positions."