04 December 2003 - With just less than two months to go before the Philippines hosts the Sixth Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM VI) and the Second Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM II) for the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople announced the ratification of two agreements between the Philippines and Peru, which is one of the Philippines’ partner countries in the organization.

These agreements are the “Protocol on the Establishment of a Bilateral Consultation Mechanism between the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru” and the “Agreement for Scientific and Education Cooperation between the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Philippines and the Instituto del Mar del Peru.”  Both agreements were signed in Manila in July 2003.

“The instruments of Ratification, which were recently signed by the President signals the entry into force of the two agreements from the Philippine side.  The Philippines is awaiting notification of the same from the Peruvian Embassy in Manila,” the Secretary said.

The protocol on Bilateral Consultation aims to promote the exchange of ideas on bilateral relations and international matters of mutual interest between the Philippines and Peru.  The agreement on Scientific and Education Cooperation, on the other hand, aims to promote the development of basic scientific and applied research in ocean science through the establishment of a Joint Committee headed by the concerned aquatic resources agencies from both countries.

“This is indeed a welcome development in broadening the relations between the Philippines and the Latin American Region.  I am confident that with the Philippines’ hosting of the FEALAC conferences next year, our country’s bid to become the bridge linking the East Asian region to the Latin American region will be given an even bigger boost,” Secretary Ople said.

FEALAC, of which the Philippines is a founding member, is presently composed of 30 member countries from East Asia and Latin America.  Guatemala and Nicaragua will be admitted as new members in January 2004.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is spearheading the national organizing committee in charge of putting together next year’s conferences in Manila, in cooperation with numerous other national government agencies as well as the cities of Manila and Tagaytay.  END.