State Secretary for Political Affairs Frano Matušić held the 5th round of political consultations with Maria Theresa P. Lazaro, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Philippines, on Thursday, October 24, 2024.
The two representatives expressed satisfaction with the excellent development of bilateral relations and noted that the consultations took place in the same month the Memorandum of Cooperation on Labour Markets was signed. This memorandum aims to enhance institutional capacities in the labour and employment sectors of both countries.
The consultations covered current cooperation and explored possibilities for further bilateral and multilateral collaboration. The discussion touched on economic and trade cooperation, where the Croatian side presented the potential of Croatian ports as entry points for Filipino goods into European markets, as well as opportunities in the defence industry, tourism, science, and education. The possibilities of transferring Croatian expertise in other sectors were also highlighted.
Both sides stressed the importance of further strengthening relations between the EU and the Philippines, both bilaterally and within the EU-ASEAN cooperation framework. Special emphasis was placed on free trade as a key element in market diversification and in strengthening economic resilience and supply chains.
The two officials also discussed current geopolitical issues, with a particular focus on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and exchanged views on other global and regional matters, including the situations in their respective regions of Asia and Europe, as well as in the Middle East.
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