Philippines, Australia must maximize strategic partnership – President Marcos

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Australia must fully maximize the potential of their strategic partnership, President Marcos said after arriving from his two-day visit to Canberra on Thursday night, describing the two nations as “forward-looking” and “law-abiding maritime states.”

Marcos delivered an address before the Australian parliament on Thursday morning, where he underscored the importance of cooperation among nations in the face of threats to the rule of law, peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The President’s plane landed in Manila at 8:30 p.m., according to Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil.

In a video message posted on the Facebook page of PCO, Marcos cited an “increased tempo” in bilateral engagements between the two countries in various areas of cooperation, including defense and security, since they elevated their bilateral relations from comprehensive to strategic partnership in September last year.

“Australia remains, and will continue to be, one of our closest friends. 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,” the President said.

“I conveyed to Australian legislators the important role of both our countries as proponents of the rules-based international order and its significance amidst the present complexities in global geopolitics,” Marcos said.

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

Marcos made a state visit to the Australian capital from Feb. 28 to 29 upon the invitation of Governor-General David Hurley.

In his speech before Australian legislators on Thursday, Marcos vowed to resist any effort by foreign aggressors to seize even an inch of Philippine territory.

Before flying to Canberra on Wednesday, Marcos described the presence of Chinese navy vessels in the West Philippine Sea as “worrisome” but maintained the country would not be deterred in defending its maritime territory and protecting its fishermen.

While in Canberra,