President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday welcomed French Minister for Foreign Trade, International Financing, and French Nationals Abroad Laurent Saint-Martin at Malacañang.

During the courtesy call, Marcos underscored the “deepening and vibrant” diplomatic ties between the Philippines and France, emphasizing their foundation in shared values and adherence to international laws.

He also expressed his gratitude for the French’s material and moral support to the Philippines.

“It is very encouraging for the Philippines to see that despite the great distance between our two countries, the primacy of our shared values and our adherence to international law is something that is a common ground, that is very solid between France and the Philippines,” Marcos said.

He thanked Saint-Martin for his visit to the Philippines.

For his part, the French official expressed his appreciation to the President and Trade Secretary Cristina Roque for the warm welcome he and his delegation received.

Saint-Martin conveyed the warm greetings of French President Emmanuel Macron to the Philippine government and the Filipino people.

Manila and Paris have maintained formal diplomatic relations 78 years now since June 1947.

According to government data, there are 31,000 Filipinos living in France, most of whom are professionals, students, artists, domestic workers, and spouses of French nationals.

The Philippines and France share several areas of cooperation such as air services, cultural cooperation, defense cooperation, film collaboration, and development cooperation, among others.