Marcos ready to meet Trump immediately, says Ambassador Romualdez

 MANILA, March 3 (Reuters) - Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is keen to meet his U.S. counterpart in Washington and is ready to go immediately when Donald Trump is available, Manila's ambassador to the United States said on Monday. 

Such a meeting could be in the Spring, Jose Manuel Romualdez told reporters. He also said the Philippines was seeking to import LNG from United States as part of a "give and take" on trade. He reiterated existing defence arrangements between the two security allies would remain in place.

Meanwhile, Marcos' openness to meet Trump happens as the Philippines, alarmed over an increasingly aggressive China, seeks to further bolster its alliance with its long-time treaty ally.

Speaking to foreign correspondents at a forum, Romualdez said the White House is “aware” of Manila’s intention for a one-on-one meeting between the two leaders.

“They've indicated that we put together some of the things that I think would be important for us for the discussion to take place,” Romuladez said at the annual Prospects forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP).

“We're waiting for the White House to give us an invitation. We probably do expect having this meeting sometime around spring.”

Romualdez said talking points for the planned meeting have yet to be finalized.

Since Trump assumed office last month, U.S. allies like the Philippines have been reaching out to the American leader and his key advisers. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order freezing all U.S. aid for 90 days pending review.

But last month, Washington said the Philippines was among those included in the list of recipients of security and defense aid from the U.S.  

Romualdez said Manila will receive $336 million of $500 million foreign military financing or FMF that was approved by the U.S. Congress last year under the former Biden administration.  The rest of the funds, he said, “would follow.”

Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, moved to strengthen security alliances in the Indo-Pacific region, including high-profile trilateral arrangement with the Philippines and Japan to boost economic and security engagements.

On his first day as Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio spoke with Philippine counterpart Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and discussed issues of mutual concern, including China’s “dangerous and destabilizing actions in the South China Sea.”

America’s top diplomat also reiterated America’s “iron-clad” commitment to the Philippines and told Manalo that China’s behavior “undermines regional peace and stability and is inconsistent with international law.”

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Romualdez, also held separate talks with Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz at the White House where they expressed commitment “to deepen defense and security cooperation in the years ahead.” — Reuters with a report from Michaela del Callar