Ebong to join Blinken in Manila visit
THE U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced that Director Enoh T. Ebong will join U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken’s travel to the Philippines and South Africa later this week.
During the trip, Ebong will highlight USTDA’s work to advance the Philippines’ clean energy transition.
“USTDA works in close partnership with the public and private sectors in the Philippines and South Africa to advance the development of sustainable infrastructure projects that each country has established as its priorities,” said Ebong.
“Our model of assistance focuses on access and inclusivity and is based on the core principles of mutual benefit and trust. This is why we are successful,” he added.
In South Africa, Ebong will profile USTDA’s support for sustainable infrastructure development and highlight how the Agency will advance the goals of the U.S. Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, which Blinken will launch.
Blinken will visit the Philippines on August 5 to 6, to meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs to further strengthen the US-Philippines alliance.
The US Embassy in Manila said Blinken’s meeting with Marcos and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo would cover “bilateral efforts” to strengthen the two nations’ alliance.
Blinken’s meeting with Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo will focus on sustaining the “positive trajectory of relations” between the two nations and broadening cooperation in the economic sphere, particularly on pandemic recovery and addressing the climate crisis, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
The US official and the Filipino executives are also set to talk about other regional and global challenges, as well as ways to “advance shared democratic values.”
This will be Blinken’s first trip to the country since assuming office in January 2021.
“USTDA works in close partnership with the public and private sectors in the Philippines and South Africa to advance the development of sustainable infrastructure projects that each country has established as its priorities,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Director. “Our model of assistance focuses on access and inclusivity and is based on the core principles of mutual benefit and trust. This is why we are successful.”
