Philippines and Bangladesh Successfully Hold Third Foreign Policy Consultations in Manila
(Photo courtesy to DFA-OPD Jeffrey Mendoza)
MANILA 03 November 2025 – The Philippines and Bangladesh held the Third Foreign Policy Consultations on 03 November 2025 at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Pasay City.
DFA Undersecretary for Policy Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega and Ambassador Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Secretary (Bilateral - East and West) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-chaired the meeting.
Undersecretary De La Vega acknowledged “the desire of the Bangladeshi government to continue our bilateral cooperation and maintain an open and productive dialogue between our two countries [as] a testament to our long history of our friendship.”
The Undersecretary and Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam discussed initiatives to deepen Philippines-Bangladesh bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, tourism and investments, defense college cooperation, cybersecurity, agriculture, labor, culture, education, technical assistance, regional and multilateral fora. They also exchanged views on domestic developments, regional and international issues. There were also discussions on people-to-people exchanges, consular cooperation, and cooperation on labor and migration governance, which were led on the Philippine side by DFA Undersecretary for Migration Affairs Leo M. Herrera-Lim.
“There is a much deeper understanding of each other’s interests. The political, social and economic contexts that we have shared have given us clear guidance on our future as partners,” Undersecretary De La Vega concluded.
Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Justice, Department of Agriculture, Department of Migrant Workers, Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Board of Investment, Anti-Money Laundering Council and Civil Aeronautics Board composed the Philippine delegation. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of Bangladesh in Manila, and the Bangladesh Bank composed the Bangladesh delegation.
Following the foreign policy consultations, the DFA hosted the ceremony for the signing of the Philippines-Bangladesh Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Concerning the Recognition of Certificates under the Terms of the STCW Convention, 1978, as amended. This MOA was signed by Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Sonia B. Malaluan and Secretary Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, representing the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
The Philippines and Bangladesh established diplomatic relations on 24 February 1972. The Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Foreign Policy Consultations between the Philippines and Bangladesh was signed in Manila on 25 March 2015, and the inaugural foreign policy consultations were held on the same day. The second policy consultations were hosted by Dhaka on 3 December 2019.
These periodic foreign policy consultations were established with the common goal to promote political, economic and socio-cultural cooperation between both countries. END
(Photo courtesy to DFA-OPD Jeffrey Mendoza)