4th Philippines-Australia Ministerial Meeting Joint Ministerial Statement

21 February 2014 - The Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the Hon Albert del Rosario, and Secretary of Trade and Industry, the Hon Gregory Domingo, met with the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, and Minister for Trade and Investment, the Hon Andrew Robb AO MP, on 20 February 2014 for the Fourth Philippines-Australia Ministerial Meeting.

The Secretaries and Ministers reaffirmed the steadfast friendship between the Philippines and Australia and agreed to work collaboratively to promote economic growth and new business opportunities and advance common objectives for the peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.

Economic co-operation

The Secretaries and Ministers agreed that the Philippines and Australia should co-operate to increase bilateral trade and investment, and to support the Philippine Government’s reforms to create a more resilient, vibrant and competitive economy. The Secretaries and Ministers welcomed the participation of high-level business delegations from Australia and the Philippines at PAMM-related business events, and noted the importance of private sector engagement to drive the economic relationship forward. The Secretaries and Ministers also recognised the important role of the business chambers in promoting the expansion of trade and investment.

The Secretaries and Ministers agreed to:

• Encourage the private sector to explore new opportunities for trade and investment in light of the strong economic growth in the Philippines and the sustained strength of the Australian economy.