Cayetano seeks deeper ties with EU states

“We were able to convey to each other our mutual desire to continue exchanging views on important issues with one another,” he said.. (File Photo: Alan Peter Cayetano/Facebook)

MANILA— Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday underscored the need for the Philippines and Europe to deepen their engagement for better understanding of each other’s countries.

“The European Union and its member states are very important partners of the Philippines and we look forward to actively and constructively engaging them so we can better understand each other,” Cayetano said a day after he had a lunch meeting with ambassadors from the European Union (EU) and its member states.

“We were able to convey to each other our mutual desire to continue exchanging views on important issues with one another,” he said.

Cayetano cited the importance of people-to-people exchanges, noting that education and tourism help promote understanding and improve relations between the Philippines and the EU.

During their meeting, the envoys agreed that increasing dialogue between the Philippines and the EU will help attract more investors to Philippines.

The ambassadors then expressed hope to see more high-level visits to Europe by Filipino officials.

Also present during the meeting were Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Bases Conversion Development Authority president and chief executive officer Vivencio Dizon, who told the ambassadors that now is best time to invest in the Philippines.

Dizon, in particular, encouraged the EU to participate in the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration.

The envoys who attended the luncheon were Czech Ambassador Jaroslav Olša Jr., Danish Ambassador Jan Top Christensen, Greek Ambassador Nicolaos Kaimenakis, Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines (DEUP) Ambassador Franz Jessen, Hungarian Ambassador József Bencze, German Ambassador Dr. Gordon Kricke, Belgian Ambassador Michel Philippe Goffin, Italian Ambassador Giorgio Guglielmino, French Ambassador Nicolas Galey, Romanian Chargé d’affaires Mihai Sion, and DEUP Councilor and Deputy Head of Mission Thomas Wiersing.