Manila, Wellington bare trade deals to boost ties

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Philippines is in talks on the possibility of exporting durian and other produce to New Zealand as part of efforts to bolster trade in agricultural products between the two nations.

In his bilateral meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Laos, President Marcos on Friday expressed hope that the Philippines will be shipping Philippine durian to New Zealand.

“We are talking about this right now with our appropriate ministries. Ours is the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand. They are already in discussion on how to achieve this,” he said.

Marcos and Luxon met on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summits and Related Summits in Vientiane, Laos, earlier last week.

During their bilateral meeting in Vientiane, Marcos presented Luxon with a small doll of Jollibee dressed in a Filipino barong.

The President posted a video of his banter with Luxon on his Instagram and Facebook accounts.

“This is special for the Prime Minister. This does not happen for everyone … He is dressed up in a barong, it’s formal wear,” Mr. Marcos said.

In response, Luxon chuckled about his “great visit to Jollibee” during his trip to Manila in April this year.

The New Zealand Prime Minister also noted the “good progress” of the two countries’ ties in areas like security, trade and the economy.

“On the economic front, we’ve talked about onions and pineapples. Pineapples are coming to New Zealand, onions are going to the Philippines, I hope. I think we’ve made some good progress there,” Luxon said.

Earlier, New Zealand asked that its onions be given market access in the Philippines. The DA and New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries are finalizing ongoing consultations on the matter.

Meanwhile, Marcos also expressed optimism that the Philippines and New Zealand will elevate diplomatic ties to a comprehensive partnership by 2026.

He said the Proposed Roadmap to Comprehensive Partnership 2024-2025 is now being finalized by the two nations’ respective government agencies.

“I think the road map is being finalized now. We should have it ready by the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries,” he said.

The President added: “I think that’s well on its way. Quite frankly, there are no real obstacles. It’s just a question of finalizing the language.”