Philippines Bilateral Linkages

Photo credit

Andrew Matheson

11:14am Wednesday 23 May

Philippines Bilateral Linkages

Development assistance has been an important part of the bilateral relationship. The country allocation is currently NZ$4m annually and is targeted at the development of sustainable rural livelihoods, primarily ecotourism and coastal management for local communities, and provision of post-graduate scholarships.

When President Arroyo visited in May 2007, a number of substantive outcomes were achieved. Two new bilateral arrangements were signed: an Arrangement for Cooperation in the Protection and Conservation of Natural Protected Areas between the Department of Conservation and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; and an Arrangement on Law Enforcement Cooperation to Combat Transnational Crime between the New Zealand Police and the Philippines National Police. Our respective Human Rights Commissions are collaborating in the area of human rights education and capacity-building in the Philippines.

New Zealand and the Philippines concluded an Air Services Agreement in November 2007, which should lead to increased people-to-people links and easier travel between our two countries.

New Zealand also has a close working relationship with the Philippines in regional and multilateral fora such as APEC, the Forum for East Asia and Latin American Co-operation (FEALAC), the WTO and the Cairns Group, the ARF and the ASEAN/Australia/New Zealand FTA process.

Bilateral Business Councils have been established in both countries and there have been several business missions in both directions. The Minister of Trade Negotiations visited Manila in March 2003 and a small Philippines business delegation visited New Zealand in October 2003. A high-level business delegation, led by Ambassador Donald Dee, also visited in March 2007.

Visits

To The Philippines

Hon Phil Goff, former Minister of Trade (August 2007)
Rt Hon Winston Peters, former Minister of Foreign Affairs (ASEAN PMC, ARF, SWPD Meetings, July 2007)
Rt Hon Helen Clark, then Prime Minister (EAS, Cebu, January 2007)
Rt Hon Winston Peters, former Minister of Foreign Affairs (EAS, Cebu, January 2007)
Hon Harry Duynhoven, then Minister for Transport Safety and Associate Minister of Energy (for Asian Parliamentary Conference), August 2007
Rt Hon Helen Clark, then Prime Minister, March 2006
Hon Phil Goff, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, July 2004
Hon Jim Sutton, former Minister for Trade Negotiations, March 2003
Hon Phil Goff, then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, July 2000
A delegation of five MPs, led by the former Speaker, Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt, April 2000
Rt Hon Don McKinnon, then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, July 1998
Rt Hon Winston Peters, former Deputy Prime Minister, June 1998

To New Zealand

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for a full State Visit and to attend the Interfaith Dialogue in Waitangi, May 2007. The President was accompanied by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Alberto Romulo; the Secretary of Trade and Industry, Hon Peter Favila; the Secretary of Agriculture, Arthur Yap; the Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, Angelo Reyes; and a 90 strong business delegation
Environment and Natural Resources Secretary, Angelo Reyes, March 2007
High level "Philippines Inc" business delegation led by Ambassador Donald Dee, March 2007
Defence Secretary, Avelino Cruz, mid-2005
Secretary of Foreign Affairs, HE Blas Ople, March 2003
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Special Envoy Rizanino Navarro, February 2001
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in her former capacity as Vice-President, attended the APEC Women Leaders' Network Meeting in June 1999
HE Jose Pardo, Secretary of Trade and Industry, attended the APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting in June 1999
President Joseph Estrada attended the APEC Leaders Meeting in September 1999