Prime Minister Stephen Harper today marked the conclusion of a highly productive visit to Canada by Benigno Aquino III, President of the Philippines. The three-day state visit, from May 7 to May 9, 2015, which included stops in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, was President Aquino’s first to Canada and the first by a Filipino president since 1997.
The two leaders welcomed a number of key initiatives that will deepen the strong Canada-Philippines bilateral relationship.
In the area of commerce, the two countries launched exploratory discussions towards a free trade agreement and agreed to work towards upgrading the existing Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.? Canada sees increased engagement with the Asia-Pacific region, and with the Philippines, as a priority for Canada’s economic growth.
The leaders also welcomed the signing of an important framework on mutual accountability for development cooperation that outlines the commitments of both governments to work together toward reducing poverty in the Philippines. As well, a number of projects were announced that will continue to help the Philippines recover from Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda).
In addition, the leaders held in-depth discussions on regional and global security challenges. The Prime Minister announced Canadian support to a number of initiatives aimed at improving maritime security, countering terrorism in the Asia-Pacific region, and supporting the President’s Bangsamoro Peace Process.
The two leaders also participated in a cultural event where they met with members of Canada’s vibrant Filipino community. At this event, Prime Minister Harper paid tribute to the tremendous contributions this community continues to make to Canada, and the importance of the strong people-to-people ties to the Canada-Philippines bilateral partnership.
