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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Canada places PH at 'core' of Indo-Pacific strategy

Canada places PH at 'core' of Indo-Pacific strategy

Published May 19, 2023 08:30 am
Canada has identified the Philippines as the "core" of its Indo-Pacific strategy, according to its top diplomat who came to Manila to establish a "stronger diplomatic presence" here. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly met on Friday Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo "in the context of the fact that [Canada] released a new Indo-Pacific strategy." Why Ottawa made such an approach is to make sure both countries "can work together on security issues, on trade issues, [and] on people-to-people ties," Joly said in her opening remark ahead of a bilateral talk with Manalo. She added that Ottawa will also pursue climate issues and help the Philippines "address the infrastructure gap." Joly's visit followed another top diplomat's visit from the Commonwealth. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong left Manila on Thursday after her three-day stay, where she announced new maritime cooperation initiatives and an increase in Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the Philippines. In his remark, Manalo said "there are plenty of areas” the Philippines and Canada can work to bolster existing cooperation. These include trade and investment, education and defense. “As we recover from the impact of COVID-19, and with the Philippines under a new administration, this meeting is a perfect opportunity to set the tone for our bilateral relations towards being more strategic, dynamic, and mutually beneficial,” Manalo said. Manalo also said he is “pleased to see our relations return to a high point.” “I am keen on possibly reciprocating with high-level visits of our own to Canada,” he added.

Bilateral Talk

During their bilateral talk, Manalo and Joly "agreed to elevate existing bilateral cooperation across socio-economic, political and security sectors," the DFA said in a later press release. The two sides also agreed to launch new initiatives, such as on climate action and climate transition financing. "They agreed to sustain the positive momentum of official exchanges, including among authorities involved in maritime security, marine environmental protection, and sustainable fisheries in support of institutional capacity-building in these sectors in the Philippines," DFA said. Manalo and Joly also pushed for the promotion of the rule of law in the South China Sea and the respect for freedom of navigation and overflight, in line with international rules and laws. In October 2023, they said they should convene for the 6th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting to set the priorities and elevate the scope and scale of relationship in the 21st century. They also considered holding regular meetings at Foreign Minister level, according to DFA.

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