ROYAL RECEPTION. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. attends the royal reception at Buckingham Palace in London on Friday night (May 5, 2023), a day before the grand coronation of King Charles III. Marcos was joined by his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. (Photo courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office)
MANILA – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to give President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. a "proper" trip to the United Kingdom.
Sunak made the commitment during his recent bilateral meeting with Marcos who flew to London last week to witness the historic coronation of Britain’s King Charles III on May 6.
In a media interview in Indonesia on Tuesday night, Marcos recalled his meeting with Sunak, saying the latter vowed to arrange his next visit to the UK.
Marcos said he received Sunak's word since their bilateral meeting merely lasted for around seven minutes.
"Sabi ko sa kanya (I told him) we have many opportunities that we have had... That day, sabi niya (Sunak), 'Sana matuloy natin (he said, 'I hope to continue our dialogue). We talk about it. We won't be able to do it now because we have maybe seven minutes, six minutes. We can't do it now but we'll do a proper trip for you to come to the UK and talk about it soon.' That's where we ended," Marcos said.
Marcos did not elaborate on his possible next visit to the UK.
READ: PBBM attends royal reception; singles out 'thriving' PH-UK ties
Marcos said he and Sunak had been given the chance to talk about politics, including the stability in the UK.
Sunak, Marcos said, also expressed gratitude to the Filipinos who worked as frontliners in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier, Marcos said he would meet with Sunak to discuss the partnership between the Philippines and the UK, possible trade agreements, and the Filipino healthcare workers.
Apart from holding a bilateral meeting with Sunak, Marcos witnessed King Charles III's grand coronation and had the opportunity to attend the royal reception hosted by the King on May 5 at the Buckingham Palace in London.
Marcos described his "very quick" interaction with King Charles III during the royal reception as "historic."
"Very quick kasi dumadaan lang siya (It's very quick because he was just passing by)," he said, recounting his meeting with King Charles III. (PNA)
