McCully to meet Philippines counterpart

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will meet his counterpart from the Philippines tomorrow for discussions on bilateral and trade issues.

“I am pleased to be hosting Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario following my visit to Manila last month,” Mr McCully says.

“The Philippines economy has shown strong growth this year. It is our 14th largest market and our fifth largest dairy market. There is wide scope for closer engagement in this and other sectors such as tourism, aviation and the geothermal industry.”

A working holiday scheme between the two countries is one initiative expected to be advanced during the visit.

“The ICT sector is also important, both Datacom and Telecom have business operations in the Philippines. There is significant potential for increased bilateral trade in ICT and other commercial services, as well as two-way investment,” Mr McCully says.

While in New Zealand, Mr del Rosario will also meet Trade Minister Tim Groser.