AUSTRALIAN Foreign Minister Penny Wong will be in the country today for an official visit until Friday while her Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly, is expected to arrive in the country on Thursday for a three-day visit.
Wong is set to meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Thursday for discussions on a broad range of issues of mutual interest, including defense and security partnership, development cooperation, trade and investment, and people-to-people ties.
“This bilateral meeting will allow both countries to assess the current state of their bilateral relations and chart the course for further collaboration,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
“This visit is also an excellent opportunity to renew and deepen the friendship between the two nations and explore new areas of cooperation,” the DFA added.
Wong will also pay a courtesy call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.
It will be Wong’s first visit to the country since assuming office in May 2022 following the election of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor government.
Australia is the only country aside from the United States which has a Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines.
Earlier, Australian Ambassador to Manila HK Yu said Australia is aiming to become a better defense partner to the Philippines through the nuclear-powered submarine program under the AUKUS trilateral security pact.
REGIONAL SECURITY
Joly’s visit aims to advance bilateral cooperation and the implementation of Ottawa’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Joly will also meet Manalo, during which they will discuss “regional security and stability, maintenance of a rules-based international order, Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, and partnership with Association of Southeast Asian Nations.”
“Minister Joly will also engage with government officials, academics, non-governmental organizations, and civil society leaders to gain insights into the challenges facing the Philippines and the region,” Global Affairs Canada said in a statement.
Describing the Philippines as one of the fastest growing economies in the region, the statement said the visit would create commercial, development and climate finance opportunities for Canada and its companies to invest in.
“The Indo-Pacific is the global center of economic dynamism and is of strategic importance to our security. What brings our countries together is our unwavering commitment to democracy, prosperity, and a free, open and sustainable Indo-Pacific rooted in the rule of law. Canada continues to deepen relationships in the region with key partners, including Korea and the Philippines,” it added.
Last year, trade between Manila and Ottawa stood at around P127 billion, with the former exporting goods and services to Canada worth around P80 billion.
In the same period, the Philippines imported around P45.4 billion worth of Canadian goods.
There are around 960,000 Filipinos living and working in Canada.
