Reception Hall, Malacañan Palace 
September 20, 2023

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. warmly welcomed Her Excellency Marie Fontanel, Ambassador-Designate of the French Republic to the Republic of the Philippines, as she presented her letter of credence in a ceremony at the Reception Hall in Malacañan Palace.

In her brief message, the envoy conveyed French President Emmanuel Macron’s congratulations to President Marcos Jr. for successfully strengthening the Philippines’ economic growth in his first year in office. She likewise mentioned the French leader’s growing concern about the increasing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and expressed support for the supremacy of international law.

Furthermore, she relayed the invitation of French President Macron for the Philippine Chief Executive to hold a state visit in France.

The French envoy has also been designated as the Non-Resident Ambassador to Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Inspector General of Social Affairs and has been the former adviser of President Macron on solidarity, health and gender equality from 2017 to 2020. She also served as the Permanent Representative of France to the Council of Europe from 2020 to 2023 in Strasbourg.

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