PRESIDENT MARCOS: My gosh, it’s… You’ve been affixed here in all the work that we’ve been doing for the last three years, since I’ve been President. And I think that in that time we really have seen a much deeper interconnection between the Philippines and the EU.

I don’t think we’ve had this close relationship with the EU as we have now and I’m happy that that’s the case.

‘Cause post-pandemic, I think it’s one of the lessons that we learned, is that we need to have friends in place in times of crisis.

AMBASSADOR VÉRON: Yes. No, we are — I think I was blessed to be at the very interesting time. I remember I met you first time as a candidate.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: As a candidate.

AMBASSADOR VÉRON: I went to see you in Mandaluyong.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yeah, Mandaluyong.

AMBASSADOR VÉRON: I think it was December 6, 2021.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: You have better memory than I do.

AMBASSADOR VÉRON: I remember that. And then we visited Brussels very early. I was very sorry for the weather because you had a very bad cold.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oh, yes. It’s the first time I’ve been out. It just brought home to me how exhausted I was — still from the campaign. It’s just a little bit of cold. I don’t mind the cold. But I said, okay, I’d better get stronger and get healthier.

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