Trudeau, inimbitahan si PBBM na bumisita sa Canada sa 2024

INIMBITAHAN ni Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau si Pangulong  Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na bumisita sa Japan sa susunod taon para sa pagdiriwang ng  75th diplomatic relations sa pagitan ng dalawang estado.

Sinabi ng Presidential Communications Office (PCO) na ipinaabot ang imbitasyon sa Pangulo sa isinagawang bilateral meeting kasama si Trudeau sa sidelines ng 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits sa Indonesia.

Sa nasabing pagpupulong,  pinag-usapan ng mga state leaders ang Filipino-Canadian diaspora at ang bansag ni  Trudeau bilang  “incredible ties”  ng dalawang bansa.

“Next year we’re celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations and we will be celebrating, but the reality is the trade, economic ties between our two countries continue to grow. The opportunities and investment, the flow of people back and forth as well is strong and the Filipino-Canadian diaspora is incredibly important to all of us,” ayon kay Trudeau.

Ikinatuwa naman ni Pangulong Marcos ang gagawing pagdiriwang ng Canada sa kultura ng mga Filipino sa bansa nito.

“We cannot have discussions without mentioning the diaspora the Philippine diaspora to Canada and I noted during our Independence Day, all of these celebrations being held officially by local governments around Canada — a celebration of Philippine culture, a celebration of Philippine independence — well really is indicative of how well they assimilated themselves into their work places and into your society,” ayon kay Pangulong Marcos.

Winika pa ng Pangulo kung paano purihin ng mga Filipino ang Canada para sa pagtanggap sa kanila sa nasabing bansa.

“There are many families that have grown up in Canada. They have always been unanimous in the praise for the way Canadian society has been open and warm and hospitable to them,” ayon kay Pangulong Marcos.

“We would like to return the favor and we would like very much to promote this increased relationship,”  dagdag na wika nito.

Tinuran pa rin ni Pangulong Marcos sa naturang meeting na ang Canada  ay “one of the most desired destinations” para sa mga manggagawang Filipino.

“There was an attitude in the very beginning where Filipinos or workers abroad only work abroad because they had no chance to or a move that was forced upon them but we have changed our attitude,” ayon sa Chief Executive.

“You must accept that this is the way the world works now. It is that people exchange labor forces across the region, across different regions. We, of course, have been a rather more peripatetic race than most. We find ourselves in some of the most unusual and unexpected places, but Canada has become very much a desired destination for our workers,” dagdag na pahayag ni Pangulong Marcos.

Dahil dito, sinabi ng Pangulo na siya ay “very optimistic” ukol sa  Philippine-Canada ties dahil wala aniya siyang nakikitang anumang  “obstacle” o balakid sa nagpapatuloy at lumalalim na relasyon ng dalawang bansa.

Samantala, sinabi pa ng Pangulo na ang paglipat ng Canada sa Asia-Pacific at Indo-Pacific ay “significant” at nagpapakita lamang kung alin na ekonomiya ang umuunlad.

Ito naman ang pangatlong bilateral meeting sa pagitan nina Pangulong Marcos at Trudeau simula nang maupo si Pangulong Marcos bilang Presidente ng Pilipinas noong nakaraang taon. (Daris Jose)