Marcos’ state visit to France slated before June: envoy

FILE: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. with French President Emmanuel Macron. (Photo: Office of the President/Facebook)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is expected to visit France before the end of June 2023, French Ambassador to the Philippines Michele Boccoz said Friday.

The envoy said Malacañang has accepted French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation and agreed to conduct the state visit within the first half of the year.

Paris and Manila are currently working on the trip’s deliverables, which could include agreements on creative industries, film co-production, and information and communications technology (ICT), among others.

A high-level political consultation is scheduled on March 8 to further discuss the areas of cooperation that would be discussed between the two leaders.

Boccoz said the priority areas are food security, energy, maritime security, climate change, and biodiversity, including people-to-people ties.

She said France is also “very interested” in facilitating contacts between Filipino and French investors.

“There’s a lot of interest so we hope that we might have more concrete plans before the time of the visit,” she said.

“(The invite has been accepted) it’s just a matter of schedule.”