On behalf of the Filipino people, I thank President Yoon Suk Yeol for accepting my invitation to come and visit with us in the Philippines. As we celebrate our 75th anniversary of our two countries’ diplomatic relations, Your Excellency’s visit is a fitting activity to mark this important milestone.

It is not an overstatement to describe the beginning of these ties as a storied one. Not only was it founded on common values, but it was also forged in blood, through the sacrifices of thousands of Filipinos who provided aid to South Korea, the first Asian country to do so, when the Korean War broke out in 1950.

Our bonds have continued to grow since then. Today, we have a robust partnership in a myriad of fields of cooperation, including defense and security, maritime cooperation, trade, development, and people-to-people exchanges. From here, there is nowhere else to go but up.

As we chart the future direction of our relations, the way forward is clear. The time has come for us to elevate the ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea to a Strategic Relationship.

This idea must be as concrete as the foundation from which our bilateral relationships stand. As the geopolitical environment is only becoming more complex, we must work together to achieve prosperity for our peoples and to promote a rules-based order governed by international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS and the binding 2016 Arbitral Award.

So, I look forward that your visit will bring a very meaningful meeting between our two countries not only on the political level but on the levels of the other sectors such as trade and defense and security and whatever else you and I will be able to identify as areas that we should explore.

Mr. President.