Ambassador Teodoro Locsin Jr has started his stint as Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James. He will also have concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, Bailiwick of Jersey and Bailiwick of Guernsey. He has been meeting key officials of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) since he arrived in London on 17 March.
Locsin presented his letter of credence to Victoria Busby OBE, Director of Protocol and Vice Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps of the FCDO at Lancaster House on 21 March. A letter of credence is a formal document attesting to the power of a diplomat to act in behalf of the issuing government. He reiterated the Philippines’ resolve to further enhance Philippines-UK bilateral relations and looked forward to His Majesty The King’s Coronation in May.
Filipinos in the UK welcomed Locsin as the Philippine Embassy in London announced his arrival on its Facebook page on 17 March. Community leaders and business owners responded to the announcement with warm messages.
On 22 March, Ambassador Locsin presented his credentials to Mr. Kitack Lim, the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). He expressed his readiness to work for a more robust partnership of the Philippines with the IMO, focusing on the protection and promotion of the rights of seafarers as the shipping industry transitions to a green economy.
He also paid an introductory call to Minister of State for the Indo Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan at the FCDO. They discussed practical ways to enhance Philippines-UK relations and strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as defence, maritime, and energy security. Ambassador Locsin also thanked Minister Trevelyan for the UK’s donation of AstraZeneca vaccines to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and for honoring the hard work of Filipino healthcare workers in the UK.
British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils welcomed the arrival of Locsin and his wife Louie on Twitter. He replied “At your disposal.”
Ambassador Locsin served as Foreign Affairs Secretary from 2018 until 2022 under former President Rodrigo Duterte.
