Liverpool, 18 December 2021 (TDI): The Philippines and the Republic of Korea reaffirmed their commitment to uplift the relations to the strategic level. The commitment was made by Foreign Affairs Secretary of the Philippines, Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr., and Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong in Liverpool last week.
The diplomatic engagement between the representatives of Pacific countries took place when the two met at the sidelines of the ASEAN-G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Liverpool, UK.
During the talks, they agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in numerous areas including defense, trade, and investment along with people-to-people exchanges. Diplomats agreed to enhance COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, as well.
Teodoro L. Locsin expressed gratitude to the ROK Foreign Minister for South Korea’s humanitarian assistance to the Philippines at the onset of the pandemic.
The Republic of Korea provided donations of masks, testing kits, and USD2.5M–worth of cold chain facilities and equipment. Earlier last month, ROK had sent 539,430 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to PH.
The meeting also allowed them to discuss the need to revive economic interaction amid the pandemic. The two counterparts also discussed the entry under the Employment Permit System (EPS) of Filipino workers. These workers are contributing greatly to the labor force of small and medium-sized companies in ROK.
Earlier prior to the pandemic, 85,000 Koreans were living, working, and studying in the Philippines. while ROK was providing home and career to 48,000.
Defense, Security, and Maritime Cooperation
Moreover, highlighting the importance of defense, security, and maritime cooperation, the two ministers also discussed the great importance of the Philippines, which is a maritime and littoral state. While ROK’s deep interest in sustainable oceans and fisheries management was also deliberated upon.
Later, Teodoro L. Locsin also extended an invitation of a state visit to Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong towards the Philippines. The two states also committed to enhancing cooperation among them.
){kind=link}