DIRECT FLIGHTS. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta during arrival honors at the Malacañan Palace grounds in Manila on Friday (Nov. 10, 2023). Marcos and Ramos-Horta, in a bilateral meeting, discussed the possible establishment of direct flights between Manila and Dili, as well as the mechanisms for the management of South China Sea tensions. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta discussed Friday the possible establishment of direct flights between Manila and Dili, as well as the mechanisms for the management of South China Sea (SCS) tensions.
The plans were raised during Marcos’ bilateral meeting with Ramos-Horta at Malacañan Palace in Manila.
“We should like to also explore the possibilities of having direct flights between our capitals through an air services agreement,” Marcos said in a joint press conference after the bilateral meeting.
Marcos said he and Ramos-Horta also committed to reconvene the policy consultations that would be hosted by Timor-Leste “in the near future.”
“Today, we took the opportunity to study our existing platforms of cooperations and partnerships, as well as we discussed matters of great importance to both our nations, particularly in the fields of political cooperation and people-to-people exchanges,” he said.
“There are many aspects to that consultation that will further the relations between our two countries,” Marcos added.
Marcos said they agreed to establish a bilateral social security agreement for the two nations’ professionals working in each other's country.
He added that they also seek to strengthen the Philippines and Timor-Leste’s educational cooperation between their higher learning institutions by increasing student exchanges.
Marcos vowed to assist Timor-Leste in the skills formation of Timorese people, noting that a team from the Department of Science and Technology have been deployed to Dili to assist in enhancing skills in food processing.
“We committed to increase engagements in such technical cooperation, and we have tasked our respective ministries to explore and enhance future partnerships on this matter,” he said.
SCS issue
Marcos said Ramos-Horta also suggested mehanisms and modalities to manage the tensions in the SCS.
He said the proposals could be undertaken to address the present issues concerning the hotly contested waters.
“It is with gratitude that we also have received the expressions of support from the [Timor-Leste] President for the Philippines in terms of our adherence to a rules-based international law, to UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea),” Marcos said.
“Of all the different issues that we are facing, geopolitical issues that we are facing around the world, once again, the experience of the President has shown what the Philippines can do to further our discussion and argument as to the continued adherence of all parties to a rules-based system and international law. And for that, I thank him very much.”
Marcos said Ramos-Horta’s state visit to the Philippines aims to “revitalize the two nations’ bilateral relations.
He said he is happy to welcome Ramos-Horta, adding that he considers the latter as a “good friend of the Philippines.”
Ramos-Horta said he hopes to deepen Timor-Leste’s ties with the Philippines, which he described as a “very unique” country.
“Let’s expand, upgrade the relationship between our two countries,” he said. (PNA)
