Philippine President Gloria Arroyo Meets US President Barack Obama at White House
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and US President Barack Obama finally met at the White House on Thursday (early Friday in Philippines); with the two leaders tighten the Philippine-US partnership despite of several issues.
President Arroyo is the first Southeast Asian leader who was received by Obama in the White House, arrived at around 3 p.m. at the executive mansion, where pro and anti-Arroyo groups held protests outside the White House gates.
The meeting lasted at about 45 minutes which Arroyo accompanied by some of her political constituents such as Philippine Ambassador to the US Willy Gaa, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, House Speaker Prospero Nograles, presidential adviser on climate change Heherson Alvarez and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.
US President Obama hailed the relationship of the two allies, and mentioned the contributions of Filipinos to America.
“We are proud to have 4 million persons of Filipino ancestry contributing to our country each and every day in all walks of life. The fact that we have Filipino veterans who have walked side by side with American soldiers on behalf of freedom, all those things that have strengthened the relations of our two countries,” he said.
He also said that they primarily discussed the fight against terrorism during their meeting.
“I am very pleased that President Arroyo has made such good progress on dealing with counterterrorism issues. She has initiated a peace process in Mindanao that we think has the potential to bring peace and stability to a part of the Philippines that has been wracked by unrest for too long,” Obama said.
Meanwhile, President Arroyo thanked President Obama for inviting her to the White House, and restated the Philippines’ support to issues America is pursuing in the region.
“The Philippines will stand behind the US in two crucial issues in the region: Burma and North Korea,” she added.
The President also thanked the US’s help in facing climate change, and the granting of benefits for Filipino World War II veterans.
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