The Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Dr. Marcin Czepelak visited President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacañang on Thursday.

During the meeting, Marcos said that the PCA is an important part of the Philippines’ foreign policy.

“I'm very happy that you were able to visit us. Because we, of course, the Philippines right now, the Permanent Court of Arbitration is an important part of our foreign policy considering all of the challenges that we are facing right now,” he said.

Cepelak is a jurist, a former ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the first elected non-Dutch secretary general in the history of the PCA.

His visit to the Philippines coincides with the organization's 125th anniversary. Part of this visit is to promote peaceful dispute resolution among member-states.

Before visiting the Palace, he also met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.