Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed the visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Manila today, April 18.
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| Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. welcomes New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Manila on April 18. (Source: Philippine Presidential Communications Office) |
At the meeting at Malacañang Palace, the two leaders discussed measures to promote bilateral relations as well as developments in international life.
Support peaceful solutions
According to a joint statement on the visit, released by the Philippine Presidential Communications Office, the two sides “shared deep concerns” over the growing tensions in the South China Sea.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon “reaffirmed the need for all states to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law,” including dispute settlement mechanisms under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The two leaders “reiterated their support for the efforts led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to soon reach an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea that protects the legitimate rights and interests of all parties and is consistent with UNCLOS.”
The Philippines and New Zealand have common interests as maritime nations in the Pacific. The host President and his guest from New Zealand pledged to cooperate in maritime law enforcement, including addressing common threats such as piracy, maritime terrorism, smuggling, wildlife trafficking, and illegal migration.
The joint statement also called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement amid the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Similar concerns have been raised about Russia's military campaign in Ukraine and the situation in Myanmar following a military coup three years ago.
Elevate the relationship
During the meeting, President Marcos and Luxon agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to a comprehensive partnership by 2026, deepen defense ties through the commitment to sign the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) by the end of 2024 and the Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA).
Aside from the US, the Philippines has signed a SOVFA with Australia and is currently pushing for a similar defense agreement with Japan, called the Reciprocal Access Agreement.
These forms of defense cooperation allow Philippine and foreign soldiers to train on each other's territory as well as share military equipment.
According to the joint statement, the two leaders “instructed their foreign ministers and relevant officials to draw up a roadmap to guide the establishment of a comprehensive partnership, including upgrading the consultation mechanism of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the vice-ministerial level and creating new mechanisms such as a joint economic committee and maritime dialogue.”
The joint statement also “emphasized the importance of further visa facilitation between the Philippines and New Zealand. The visit of the New Zealand Foreign Minister to the Philippines scheduled for late 2024 will be an opportunity to advance discussions on a more comprehensive partnership.”
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| Prime Minister Christopher Luxon chats as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. drives a golf cart after a welcoming ceremony at Malacanang Palace in Manila on April 18. (Source: AP) |
Strengthening economic cooperation
President Marcos and Prime Minister Luxon also welcomed the development of stronger economic linkages between the Philippines and New Zealand, and reaffirmed their shared commitment to upholding a rules-based trading system.
The two leaders welcomed the upgrading of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) and the successful implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and noted the strong cooperation between the two countries through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
Acknowledging the Philippines' interest in developing its agricultural export capabilities, the New Zealand head of government pledged further discussions among officials on the initiative.
In addition, the two leaders pledged to remove “unnecessary trade barriers” and ensure that exporters can take full advantage of comprehensive free trade agreements to achieve “a mutually beneficial increase in two-way trade of 50 percent by 2030.”
In 2023, the Pacific island nation ranked as the 28th trading partner (out of 230) of the Southeast Asian country with two-way trade turnover of about 495.37 million USD, as well as the 38th export destination and 24th import source.
The Philippines is the final leg of Prime Minister Luxon's week-long tour of Southeast Asia aimed at boosting New Zealand's trade links, having previously visited Singapore and Thailand.
The Philippines and New Zealand established formal diplomatic relations on July 6, 1966 and will celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2026.
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