05 August 2014 - Philippine Ambassador to France Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro presented her letters of credence to French President François Hollande on July 08 at the Elysée Palace in Paris.
In their brief meeting, Ambassador Lazaro conveyed to President Hollande the warm greetings of President Benigno S. Aquino III and expressed the latter’s desire to further enhance relations with France. For his part, President Hollande noted that the Philippines and France have a long history of relations. He stated that he was aware of President Aquino’s endeavors especially in advancing good governance, fighting corruption and promoting the rule of law. The French President also remarked on the “impressive growth” of the Philippine economy.
Ambassador Lazaro joined 12 other new Ambassadors in presenting their letters accrediting them to the French Republic.
France is one of the main pillars in the European Union, which is a major economic and development partner of the Philippines. Total trade between the Philippines and France is now close to €2 billion. For the period January to December 2013, French foreign direct investments (FDI) to the Philippines totaled around US$8.7 million, ranking 18th in overall FDI sources. France is ranked as the Philippines’ third biggest source of tourist arrivals from Europe, with a total of about 39,042 in 2013, after the United Kingdom and Germany. END