Philippine President Marcos welcomes Indonesian counterpart Widodo in Manila

Indonesian President Joko Widodo met with his Philippine counterpart President Ferdinand Marcos at the Malacanang Palace, in Manila with both leaders agreeing to strengthen border and defence cooperation.

Widodo arrived in Manila on Tuesday for a three-day official visit aimed at strengthening Indonesia’s relations with the Philippines.

Ferdinand Marcos, Philippine President said "President Widodo and I had a fruitful and honest discussion on regional events of mutual interest, such as the developments in the South China Sea and ASEAN cooperation and initiatives." As founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), the Philippines and Indonesia affirmed our insistence on the universality of UNCLOS, which sets out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and in the seas."

A memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation between the Philippine and Indonesian governments was also signed on the sideline of the bilateral meeting.