The president speaks: 'A friend to all, enemy to none'

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Part of The Republic

Title: The president speaks: 'A friend to all, enemy to none'
Language: English
Year: 1973
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Fulltext: The Nation THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS ‘A friend to all, enemy to none’ Following is the text of the opening statement made by President Marcos at the weekly radio-TV forum “Pulong-Pulong sa Kaunlaran” on May 8, 1973: There has actually been no change in our basic foreign policy concept of serving the national interest first and foremost. There has been no divergence from our standard of conduct to be a friend to all nations and be an enemy to none, nor has there been any weakening of our desire to have the rule of law and justice govern the affairs of mankind. Neither has there been any deflection in the thrust of our foreign policy towards economic development as the basis of our national progress and stability. The change is not in the content, philosophy or direction of our foreign policy, but in the stronger political will to achieve our national purpose and destiny. Through national discipline and self-reliance, internal impediments have been surmounted. What remains are external obstacles which we seek to attenuate as much as possible. As we live not only in a changing but also in an interdependent world, we have to seek an accommodation with the interests of other countries, specially the big powers, without, of course, sacrificing our own. _We haye anchored our national safety, firstly on the promise of universal security under the aegis of the United Nations. After July 4,1946, we put our trust in bilateral arrangements with the United States, if you will remember, and this was to be so until the world organization, the United Nations, shall have or would have proved itself capable of effectively guaranteeing peace in the entire world. With the thaw in the cold war and the emergence of a multipolar world, we are now exploring, through ASEAN, the possibility of regional cooperaThe President at radio-TV forum: a more balanced relationship with the outside world. tion and solidarity by having Southeast Asia recognized as a zone of peace, freedom and neutrality, free from any interference by outside powers. Beyond that, we look forward to the establishment of an Asian Forum where all Asian nations, irrespective of ideology, shall be able to have their voices heard in any matter that concerns the fate of Asia and the welfare of its teeming millions. We have laid the foundations of a more balanced relationship* with the outside world predicated on normal trade exchanges with all countries whatever their political or religious creed. As a prelude to the normalization of political relations with socialist countries, we have exchanged diplomatic missions, if you will remember, with two countries, Rumania and Yogoslavia. Diplomatic relations with the U.S.S.R. and the People’s Republic of China are now under active consideration. This reorientation of our foreign policy must be what Secretary William Rogers had in mind when he reported to the American Congress that the Philippines was veering away from the United States. However, I wish to point out that cooperation between the Philippines and the United States is still a vital thing, though it has to assume a new form. It is against the foregoing background and within the central framework of our search for national freedom and dignity that we must work out our changing relationship with the United' States and closer ties with our neighbors in Asia. Foreign policy, as I have always said, should serve as the handmaiden of the new society in order to project its image abroad and to attract tourism and capital investment considered essential to the transformation of our agricultural economy into an industrialized society capable of holding its own vis-a-vis the developed countries oflhe world. In this sense, foreign policy is truly the touchstone of our national progress and salvation. The country’s search for new markets for its products, along with the traditional ones, continued to gain momentum last week. While a Philippine trade mission was in Peking conferring with Red Chinese Premier Chou En-lai and ranking trade officials, a Yugoslav trade mission was in town to discuss possibilities of expanding Yugoslavia’s still infant trade with the Philippines. The 15-man Philippine mission headed by Wigberto Clavecilia, president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, is the second trade group invited by Peking to visit Red China since 1971. The mission, according to the wire services, had “a friendly and unconstrained conversation” with Premier Chou, Foreign Trade Vice Minister Li Chiang, Vice Chairman Li Chuan of the China council for the promotion of international trade, and other foreign ministry and trade officials. The group was expected to look into the possibility of establishing direct trade channels and services between Manila and Peking. Included in the Philippine mission are representatives of local car manufacturers, lumber and coconut oil products, suppliers of raw materials for plastic-making, petrochemicals and Page 2 NEW CONTACTS RP trade group in Peking; Yugoslav mission in Manila aluminum producers, and local banks. There were indications that the mission would sound off Peking on the desire of the Philippines to set up a Trade Memorandum Office (TMO) in Peking which would serve the dual function of a consulate office and commercial listening post. Before the mission left April 25, they paid a courtesy call on the President. Last week, the President again took time out of his busy schedule to personally receive the seven-man Yugoslav delegation in Malacanang, He expressed hopes that the country’s initial contact with Yugoslavia will b ic - ceeded by similar trade and cultural relations with other East European countries. The Philippines formally announced establishment of diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia and Rumania late last year, shortly before the proclamation of martial law. Early this year ambassadors were exchanged between the Philippines and Yugoslavia. Rumania still has to name its envoy to the Philippines. The warm welcome extended the Filipino trade mission in Peking and to the Yugoslav trade mission in Manila contrasted with the cool reception granted to such visitors in either place in the past. Mr. Marcos told the Yugoslav mission that the Philippines had chosen to have initial contacts with East European countries through Yugoslavia “because we have faith and trust in the people of Yugoslavia, and in their President, a great man.” The President requested the mission headed by Zivko Josilo, vice president of Energoinvest, to convey to Yugoslav President Tito his regards and best wishes. In Peking, meanwhile, Premier Chou asked the Philippine mission to convey his respects to President Marcos and regards to his “old friend,” Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo. On a number of occasions, Red China had supported the Philippines in the United Nations, particularly on the archipelagic doctrine which is being promoted by the country. Similar Philippine trade missions earlier had visited the Soviet Union and other socialist countries in Eastern Europe. A number of these countries had sent similar missions to Manila. This exchange of missions and other trade contacts are expected to increase in line with the government’s new policy of gearing its foreign policy to economic development. THE REPUBLIC Published weekly by the Bureau of National and Foreign Information, Department of Public Information, with business and editorial offices at the 8th Floor, Beneficial Life Bldg., Solana st., Intramuros, Manila. Telephone Nos. 40-18-91 to 95 Amante F. Paredes, Managing Editor, Rustico Otico, Copy Editor; Alberto M. Alfaro, Zenaida Seva-Ong, Section Editors; Emilio U. Macaspac, Luis P. Veneracion, Pablo A. Tariman, Jorge V. Aruta, Staff Members; Jose Dungo and Pablo Guilas, Staff Photographers. Eduardo Velasco and Tito Villasin, Staff Artists. 12 May 1973 THE REPUBLIC