DFA Undersecretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro Leads Philippine Delegation to Senior Officials’ Meeting of the 8th Philippines-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting

KUALA LUMPUR 16 October 2024 – The Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) of the 8th Philippines-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 15 October 2024. The Philippine delegation was led by the Honorable Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs, while the Malaysian delegation was led by the Honorable Dato' Ahmad Rozian Abd. Ghani, Deputy Secretary-General (Bilateral Affairs) of the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

The Senior Officials noted the timely reconvening of the 8th Philippine-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting  for the first time since 2011 as the two nations celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. The highlights of the SOM include discussions on expanding areas of bilateral cooperation to include fields such as digital economy, halal food industry and certification, and Islamic finance. They further discussed ways forward in strengthening existing areas of cooperation in fields such as defense, law enforcement cooperation, and bilateral trade and investment, among others.

The comprehensive discussion between the two sides manifests the commitment of both the Philippines and Malaysia to deepen their friendship and bilateral cooperation. Following the SOM, the Ministerial Meeting of the 8th PH-MY will take place between the Philippine Secretary for Foreign Affairs and the Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs on 16 October 2024. END