President Marcos on Wednesday met with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Malacañang to discuss initiatives aimed at boosting the country’s economic growth and modernizing government systems.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said the President’s meeting with Blair and representatives of his think-tank Tony Blair Institute for Global Change focused on strategies to sustain economic growth, strengthen the Philippines’ national crisis management systems, and harness artificial intelligence to make government operations more efficient.
In a post on his official Facebook page, Marcos said it was a pleasure to meet Blair again at his official residence.
‘As one of Britain’s longest-serving prime ministers, he continues to contribute to global conversations on governance and public policy through the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change,’ he added.
It was the second time that Blair, who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007, visited Marcos in Malacañang, with the first one in October 2022.
Blair made the visit barely a month after he met with Marcos during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York where they then discussed initiatives in peace and sustainable development.
In January 2023, Marcos and Blair met again at the sidelines of the 2023 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Branding itself as a ‘not-for-profit, nonpartisan’ consultancy firm, the Tony Blair Institute advises politicians, governments and businesses on strategy and policy, and promotes a particular focus on the role of technology in politics.
Among its more than 50 clients are the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.