15 January 2004 - Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Delia Albert announced today that she will be signing on behalf of the Philippine government a Memorandum of Understanding with Libya on the Establishment of Bilateral Consultations. She will be signing the MOU together with Libyan Ambassador Salem M. Adam -- who has been authorized by the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation to sign on behalf of the Great Jamahiriya – on 16 January at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

 The MOU establishes the mechanisms that will allow consultations to be conducted between the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines and the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. These include regular annual meetings and the promotion of contacts between diplomatic and consular missions in third countries.

The subject matter of the consultations would include issues concerning the deepening of bilateral cooperation in all fields, security and cooperation in Southeast Asia and in North Africa, and other international issues of mutual interest.

“This is a significant development in our relationship with Libya,” Secretary Albert said. “It heralds a new era in our diplomacy with Libya where opportunities abound for our respective diplomats to hold substantive dialogues aimed at promoting understanding and goodwill between our two countries and to work forward for the interest and advance the mutual benefits of both our countries and peoples.”

“Libya  has  been  an  important  partner in  our  quest  for  peace in  the  Southern  Philippines  and  one of our staunchest  supporters  in  the OIC  (Organization  of  the  Islamic Conference), ”the Secretary added. “ Our relationship  bas  been  fruitful  and  with  this MOU,  we  will  be able to  further  broaden  the  horizons  of our relationship.” – END