Marcos Jr. kicks off four-day visit to Australia for Asean summit in Melbourne, Philippines

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Australia at 7:15 p.m. (4:15 p.m. Manila time) on Sunday to begin his four-day visit in Melbourne for the Asean summit. Alongside the first lady, Liza Araneta-Marcos, and their official delegation, he landed at Melbourne Airport aboard a chartered Philippine Airlines flight PR 001. The visit is part of the special summit hosted by Australia for all 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to commemorate the 50th year of Asean-Australia relations. During his stay in Melbourne, President Marcos is scheduled to participate in various official activities, including delivering a speech at the Lowy Institute, attending a business forum organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), launching the expansion of the Victoria International Container Terminal, meeting with the Filipino community, and holding bilateral meetings with the prime ministers of Cambodia and New Zealand. President Marcos’s visit follows his state visit to Canberra, where he signed agreements on maritime, cybersecurity, and trade cooperation with Australian officials. His departure statement emphasized the importance of the summit for the Philippines to reaffirm its positions on regional and international issues and express gratitude to Australia for its support for the rule of law. As the first Asean leaders’ level engagement for the year, the summit provides an opportunity for the Philippines to strengthen its strategic partnership with Australia, the oldest dialogue partner of Asean. President Marcos highlighted the significance of Australia’s support for international law and underscored the need for continued cooperation between the two nations.