President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Photo courtesy of BBM Facebook)
MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday said several world leaders are set to hold bilateral meetings with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) next week.
In a pre-departure briefing, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Kira Christianne Danganan-Azucena said "requests are coming in from many sides" but DFA cannot disclose details as of yet regarding the number of confirmed meetings.
"What I can say at this point is that we do have a number of confirmed meetings at the leaders' level involving the president but we are not inclined to disclose at this point kung sino po 'yong mga kausap niya (who he will be speaking to)," she said.
She explained that since heads of state are involved, the final schedules and even whether the meeting would take place in the first place are often "pinned down very close to the date."
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga added that Manila is in consultation with the White House and the National Security Council in Washington DC for the possible bilateral meeting between Marcos and US President Joe Biden.
Marcos will deliver the Philippine statement at the 77th UNGA on Sept. 20.
He would also join 152 other heads of state and government during the high-level general debate. (PNA)
