President Aquino Welcomes Visiting French Leader to Malacañang

President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed French President François Hollande at Malacañang Palace on Thursday afternoon for the latter’s two-day state visit to the Philippines.

Ceremonial rites were held upon President Hollande’s arrival at the Kalayaan Grounds at about 4:50 p.m. The French leader then had a private conversation with President Aquino at the Palace’s Music Room shortly after signing the guest book.

President Aquino and President Hollande are expected to discuss various aspects in the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and France during an expanded bilateral meeting, especially in the areas of trade and economy.

The two leaders will also exchange views on global and regional issues, including climate change and terrorism, owing to the attack on the office of French publication, Charlie Hebdo, in Paris last month that killed 20 people.

President Hollande hopes to seek President Aquino’s support for the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that will be hosted by France in December this year.

Foreign relations between the Philippines and France were established as early as 1947, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs, but Hollande is the first incumbent French president to make a state visit to the country.

France is the Philippines’ second largest trading partner in the European Union (EU), with two-way trade amounting to US$2.39 billion in October 2014. This represented an increase of 24 percent from the same period in 2013. PND (hdc)