President Marcos believes that the Philippines' ties with Australia will continue to flourish as the two countries forge ahead and maximize the gains and potentials under their newly established Strategic Partnership.

Marcos said this as he arrived in Manila following his State Visit to Canberra late Feb. 29. to address the Australian Parliament.

In his arrival statement, the President reaffirmed diplomatic ties with Australia, saying the latter will continue to be one of the Philippines' closest allies.

“Australia remains, and will continue to be, one of our closest friends," he said.

"In the spirit of bayanihan and mateship, we shall forge ahead in fully maximizing the potentials and the gains from this Strategic Partnership between our two forward-looking, law-abiding maritime states,” he added.

According to Marcos, his visit was a "significant step" in realizing the opportunities and potential set forth under the framework of the Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and Australia.

The Philippines elevated its bilateral relationship with Australia from a comprehensive one to a Strategic Partnership during the visit of  Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Manila in last year.

“Following the visit of Prime Minister Albanese to our country last September, we have seen an increased tempo in bilateral engagements in various areas of cooperation, most prominent of which is our recent closer collaboration on defense and security,” he said.

During his visit, President Marcos addressed the Australian Parliament where he highlighted the important role of both countries as proponents of the rules-based international order and its significance amid present complexities in global geopolitics.  

“As democratic maritime nations, access to the global commons such as the oceans and the seas must be ensured and safeguarded,” he said.

The President also stressed the importance of “a mutually beneficial economic relationship” with Australia and acknowledged the role of the long-standing people-to-people ties of the two countries.

Marcos also had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, where they discussed other cooperation that the Philippines and Australia can undertake particularly on trade, investment, and security.

The President also reported the signing of three agreements covering maritime domain, cyber and critical technology, and the effective implementation of both countries' respective competition laws and policies.