Kazakhstan and the Philippines reaffirm commitment to stronger partnership
Kazakhstan and the Philippines held their second round of political consultations at the deputy foreign minister level, Qazinform News Agency cited the Kazakh Foreign Ministry's press service.
During the consultations, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Issagaliyev noted the positive dynamics of Kazakh-Philippine relations and reaffirmed Astana's readiness to strengthen political dialogue further and expand mutually beneficial cooperation with Manila.
The Kazakh side welcomed the Philippines' intention to open its Embassy in Astana, noting that establishing a diplomatic mission would further strengthen bilateral relations and facilitate the expansion of practical cooperation between the two countries.
Undersecretary for Policy of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines Leo Herrera-Lim reaffirmed Manila's commitment to deepening comprehensive cooperation with Kazakhstan and intensifying contacts across a broad range of areas.
The parties paid particular attention to developing trade, economic and investment cooperation, including the prospects of establishing an Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation and promoting direct contacts between the two countries' business communities. They also discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in energy, information and communication technologies, tourism and air connectivity.
The sides also addressed issues related to mutually facilitating visa requirements and further improving the legal framework for bilateral cooperation.
Following the consultations, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining regular dialogue between their foreign ministries, facilitating the implementation of agreements reached, and further strengthening Kazakh-Philippine relations.
As reported earlier, the Philippines is to open its embassy in Astana.