Aquino to visit New Zealand to ink trade agreements

President Benigno Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines and New Zealand are set to sign agreements meant to expand business relations between the two countries when President Benigno Aquino III’s goes to New Zealand for a state visit in October.

“We would be signing anywhere from three to five agreements,” Del Rosario said in an interview at the sidelines of the DFA’s reception of its Eid al-Fitr celebration in Pasay City Friday.

Del Rosario went to New Zealand last Tuesday and Wednesday where he met with trade and industry leaders ahead of Aquino’s visit.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Del Rosario met with New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully to discuss the agenda for President Aquino’s State Visit.

“Among the deliverables are the signing of the Working Holiday Scheme Arrangement and a possible Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Geothermal Energy Cooperation, and the finalization of the Philippine Dairy Development Program,” the statement said.

During his visit, Del Rosario met with Dairyland Chief Executive Officer Keith Jackson, Special Adviser of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ambassador Graeme Waters, and other members of the Board of Directors of the New Zealand-Philippines Business Council and officials of the Philippine Embassy in Wellington where they discussed business and investment opportunities for the two countries in the dairy, information technology, geothermal, and other sectors.

Del Rosario also met with New Zealand’s Minister of Trade Tim Groser, and business executives from New Zealand’s dairy giant Fonterra, geothermal energy generator Contact Energy, and Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) and officials from New Zealand‘s Foreign Ministry and Trade (MFAT).

During the meeting, Groser told Del Rosario that he would lead a business delegation to Manila in February 2013 upon the invitation of Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo.

Del Rosario said that New Zealand was also looking at trade opportunities in the Philippines as it sees the country as the third largest market for its dairy exports.

“So we’re trying to see how we can balance that trade a little bit because it’s quite imbalanced at this point in time and we’re looking at some compelling products that they could be interested in like automobile products, like electronics, household furniture, furnishings, food, garments, and plastic products,” he said.