Ambassador of Kazakhstan Daniyar Sarekenov made a working trip to the Republic of the Philippines, within the framework of which he held meetings and negotiations with the leadership of the Philippine state bodies and representatives of business circles, El.kz cites MFA.
In particular, negotiations were held with the Undersecretary of Trade and Industry Carolina Sanchez and the Assistant Secretary for Industry Development and Trade Policy of the Department of Trade and Industry Allan Gepty on increasing trade volumes, expanding cooperation in such areas as industry, agriculture, logistics, tourism, health and investment. The parties agreed on the need to establish an Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. In the first quarter of 2023, coordination meetings between interested state institutions of the two countries are planned.
With the Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs Nathaniel Imperial, Ambassador Sarekenov discussed ways to strengthen political interaction. An agreement was reached on holding political consultations between foreign offices in 2023.
Possible areas of cooperation in the energy sector were discussed with the Secretary of Energy Raphael Lotilla. The parties exchanged views on the prospects for the export of Kazakhstan’s oil, coal, as well as the implementation of joint projects in the field of nuclear and green energy.
The Kazakh diplomat also met with the Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jude Aguilar, the Secretary General of the Chamber Ruben Pascual, the President of the Human Resources Development Foundation of the Chamber Alberto Fenix. The Philippine side expressed interest in strengthening business partnerships with its Kazakhstani colleagues. The possibility of organizing a visit of representatives of the Chamber to Kazakhstan to sign a memorandum of cooperation and hold the Kazakhstani-Philippine Trade and Investment Forum was discussed.
Within the framework of the meeting with the heads of a number of Philippine companies, a presentation was made on the favourable business and investment climate of Kazakhstan, its transit, transport and export potential.