The Philippines and Palestine agree to strengthen their bilateral relations through the signing of a memorandum of understanding on political consultations that will establish a structured mechanism to identify areas of cooperation and mutual interests.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Palestinian Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Dr. Varsen Aghabekian Shahin held a bilateral meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18, as part of Shahin’s agenda in her official visit to the Philippines from Nov. 16 to 21.

“This high-level visit is reflective of our growing partnership and our mutual commitment to further strengthen our cooperation. During our meeting, Foreign Minister and I both agreed that it is high time for our countries to forge more robust and practical cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” Lazaro said in her speech.

The Philippines and Palestine signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations on Tuesday to establish a bilateral mechanism for political consultations, which will allow them “to take stock of our bilateral relations, identify areas of cooperation, and promote our common interests.”

An inaugural political consultation is expected to be convened next year.

The DFA chief further shared plans about expediting the conclusion of a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passports.

“This agreement will pave the way for greater interaction and closer cooperation between the officials as well as policymakers,” she said.

For her part, Shahin expressed hope that the MOU will strengthen mutual cooperation in various sectors, including education, higher education, vocational training, visa waiver for diplomats, and others.

“Today, on the political level, we have an opportunity. We have an opportunity created by the ceasefire on the Gaza-Israel front,” she said.

Lazaro added that the Philippines can provide technical and capacity-building assistance for the development of Palestine as Manila has “accumulated a wealth of experiences and vast practices in this area of technical and vocational education and training.”

Likewise, the DFA secretary reaffirmed the Philippines’ “unwavering and added equal support to the two-state solution,” calling it “the only viable path towards peace and stability in the Middle East.”

“The establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state and respect for its inalienable right to self-determination is imperative to the achievement of a long-lasting and genuine peace in the region,” she said.

Shahin welcomed Manila’s expression of support, noting the “positive” stand the country has taken on issues involving Palestine.

“If we look at the multi record of the Philippines, that's extremely positive in terms of Palestine. It stands on the two-state solution. It stands on the aggression on the Gaza Strip, the violations of the West Bank, and so forth,” the visiting foreign minister stated.

“And we continue to believe that the Philippines will continue its ongoing support to the plight of the Palestinian people and their struggle for liberation,” she furthered.

Her visit is the first visit of a Palestinian foreign minister to the Philippines since the formal establishment of bilateral relations in 1989.

Lazaro said that “this high-level visit is reflective of our growing partnership and our mutual commitment to further strengthen our cooperation.”

Shahin described her visit as “very productive and very fruitful” owing to the “great discussions” she had.

“The future of Philippine-Palestine relations is bright and promising. I look forward to a stronger and more dynamic cooperation between our two countries under the shared vision of peace, stability, and prosperity,” the DFA chief added.