OTTAWA, May 9 (PNA/Xinhua) — Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President of the Philippines Benigno Aquino III Friday announced new initiatives to further strengthen relations between the two countries.
The initiatives are meant to promote closer trade, investment and development ties between the two countries and enhance security collaboration to counter threats to regional and global security, the prime minister’s office said in a news release.
“The initiatives announced today clearly demonstrate that both countries are committed to further enhancing our bilateral relationship with a particular emphasis on commerce, development and security,” Harper said.
The announcement was made here after Harper’s meeting with Aquino, who arrived here Thursday for a three-day visit to Canada, which includes stops in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
Harper made an official visit to the Philippines in November 2012, the first by a Canadian prime minister in 15 years. Prime Minister Harper and President Aquino III met again on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Beijing in November 2014.
In 1989, President Aquino’s mother, former President Corazon Aquino, was the first Filipino president to make a state visit to Canada.
The Philippines is Canada’s sixth-largest trading partner in Southeast Asia and is a priority market under Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan.
With bilateral merchandise trade totaling 1.8 billion Canadian dollars (some USD 1.5 billion) in 2014 and a population of approximately 100 million people, the Philippines is an important market for Canadian businesses.
There are roughly 700,000 people of Filipino origin now residing in Canada.(PNA/Xinhua)