In his first-ever meeting with US President Joe Biden on Thursday morning (New York time), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. reaffirmed that the Philippines continues to be a "partner, ally, and friend" of the United States of America.

"We are your partners, we are your allies, we are your friends. And in like fashion, we have always considered the United States our partner, our ally and our friend," Marcos told Biden during their bilateral meeting at a hotel in New York City.

The Philippine leader recognized the role of the US in maintaining peace in Southeast Asia.

"We continue to look to the United States for that continuing partnership and the maintenance of peace in our region," Marcos said.

"In terms of the geopolitical issues that we face in this day and age, the primary consideration of the Philippines and the guiding principle of the Philippine foreign policy is to encourage peace," he added.

The President expressed hope that they can discuss the roles that the Philippines and the US will play "together and individually" in maintaining peace "despite all the complexities."

Finally, Marcos thanked the US for the "massive help" that it extended at the height of the pandemic.

"We like to thank the United States for the massive help that we received during the pandemic with the provision of up to 35…almost 36 million doses of vaccines very earlier on…and for that we are very, very grateful," he noted.

Their bilateral meeting came on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.