Philippines Promotes Economic, Maritime Cooperation in Georgia
Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro meets with Deputy Minister Guram Guramishvili of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia to discuss economic and maritime cooperation on 31 October 2023 in Tbilisi
TBILISI 03 November 2023-- Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro met with Deputy Minister Guram Guramishvili of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia on 31 October 2023 in Tbilisi to discuss ways of boosting trade and investment between the Philippines and Georgia.
Undersecretary Lazaro remarked that although bilateral trade between the two countries had increased in the past year, there is significant room for improving the trade figures. “As the Philippines diversifies its economic engagements with Europe, we hope for intensified trade collaboration with Georgia, fostering greater market access for Philippine products such as bananas, mangoes, pineapple, coffee and tuna,” said Undersecretary Lazaro.
Both officials agreed to expand bilateral investments. The Philippine-owned company International Container Terminal Services, Inc. is present in the port of Batumi in Georgia. The Batumi port is the main transportation trade hub in the Black Sea, moving goods from Asia to Europe and vice versa.
They also talked about intensifying maritime cooperation by linking maritime training schools in the Philippines and Georgia to promote exchange of information, sharing of best practices and people-to-people exchanges.
The Philippine Undersecretary, who is in Georgia for the 3rd Philippines-Georgia Political Consultations, also had a meeting with Professor Jaba Samushia, Rector of the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) to pursue university-to-university linkages between Philippine and Georgian universities. The TSU is the oldest and biggest university in the South Caucasus region, offering more than two hundred degree programs.
Undersecretary Lazaro also took the opportunity to give a lecture to Georgian diplomats and graduate students on Philippine Independent Foreign Policy at the Levan Mikeladze Diplomatic Training and Research Institute.
The Philippines and Georgia celebrate 31 years of diplomatic relations this year. END.
Undersecretary Lazaro discusses university-to-university linkages between Philippine and Georgian universities with Professor Jaba Samushia, Rector of the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) on 31 October 2023 in Tbilisi.
Undersecretary Lazaro explains the Philippine foreign policy to diplomats and graduate students of Georgia at the Levan Mikeladze Diplomatic Training and Research Institute on 31 October 2023 in Tbilisi.