31 August 2004 - Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo today extended his greetings to Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato' Seri Syed Hamid Albar for Malaysia's 47th National Day Celebrations. Secretary Romulo cited the strong ties between the Philippines and Malaysia, highlighted this year by the 5th Philippines-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting held in Manila on 14-16 July 2004.

"I would like to take this opportunity to convey my hope that, following the recent Joint Commission Meeting between our two countries, the present warm and gracious relationship between the Philippines and Malaysia will continue to strengthen and expand, not only at the bilateral level, but also in the regional and multilateral fora," Secretary Romulo said. "I am confident that with our joint efforts, our shared goals of peace and stability in the region, and the prosperity of our peoples, will be achieved."

The Secretary noted the expanded economic and trade relations between the two countries. “The volume of trade between our two countries increased from USD 2.5 billion in 2000 to USD 3.8 billion in 2003, representing a healthy annual growth rate of 17.3%,” Secretary Romulo said, highlighting RP-Malaysian trade. “We must work together to maintain this healthy pace of trade growth by encouraging our respective business sectors to continue searching for market opportunities in our respective development agendas.”

The two countries have also agreed to strengthen their cooperation under the ambit of Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines - East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

The Secretary also expressed appreciation for Malaysia’s continuing role as facilitator and convener of the peace talks between the Philippine Government and the Moro National Liberation Front.

The Philippines is scheduled to host two other related meetings: the 5th Joint Committee on Border Cooperation and the 3rd Joint Committee on Assistance for the Socio-Economic Advancement of Muslim Filipinos. These two meetings are expected to be held in the Philippines in the last quarter of 2004. The next Joint Commission Meeting will be held in Malaysia at a date to be mutually agreed upon by both countries. - END