Philippines, Palestine seek deeper political ties – BusinessWorld Online
THE PHILIPPINES and Palestine seek to improve bilateral relations through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on political consultation, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday, following a visit from the Palestinian envoy.
In a meeting, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro said that the MoU seeks to establish a structured bilateral mechanism of consultations between the two nations.
“This will allow us to take stock of our bilateral relations, identify areas of cooperation, and promote our common interests,” Ms. Lazaro said in her speech after the bilateral meeting.
She added that they seek to convene an inaugural political consultation by next year.
The DFA earlier announced that Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin will conduct a state visit to the Philippines from Nov. 16 to 21.
“The Foreign Minister and I also agreed on the importance of expediting the conclusion of a Visa Waiver Agreement for holders of diplomatic, official and special passports,” Ms. Lazaro said.
She added that the agreement will provide greater interaction and closer cooperation between officials and policymakers from both countries.
The Philippines also seeks to provide technical and capacity-building assistance to Palestine.
“The projects will be implemented under the auspices of the Technical Cooperation Council of the Philippines (TCCP), which the DFA chairs,” she added. — Adrian H. Halili