28 January 2015 - The 4th Philippines-Pakistan Policy Consultations was held at the Diamond Hotel in Manila on January 22 with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Evan P. Garcia leading the Philippine delegation and Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs heading the Pakistani delegation.
During the policy consultations, both sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations between their two countries since the last meeting held in Islamabad in January 2011. They discussed cooperation in various fields such as defense, economics, trade, labor and education, counter-terrorism, science and technology, consular matters and culture.
Both sides agreed to fast-track work on proposed agreements related to defense cooperation, diplomatic training, banking, securities and exchange, information technology, science and technology, and cultural exchange. The two sides expressed optimism that some of these agreements would be finalized within the year and would move forward bilateral relations.
They also exchanged views on regional issues and multilateral issues of common concern such as the West Philippine Sea, pull-out of NATO and US forces in Afghanistan, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
The Pakistani delegation also paid a courtesy call on Foreign Secretary Albert F. del Rosario. Secretary Del Rosario congratulated both delegations for the successful
conduct of the 4th Philippines-Pakistan Policy Consultations. He expressed gratitude to Foreign Secretary Chaudhry for the assistance that Pakistan previously gave to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. He also extended his sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the Peshawar school massacre.
For his part, Foreign Secretary Chaudhry stated that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government is focused on economic development and that Pakistan also seeks to increase its economic engagement with ASEAN member states. He said that he is pleased with the friendly relations between the Philippines and Pakistan and that he looks forward to further improving cooperation between the two countries in several areas. END