The Philippines and New Zealand have agreed to improve economic ties by enhancing bilateral cooperation, particularly on trade and investment on the dairy industry, people-to-people ties, and high-level exchanges.
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar confirmed that this was among the issues discussed during New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully’s courtesy call on President Rodrigo R. Duterte Tuesday.
Duterte arrived in Auckland Tuesday afternoon for a one-night stop over on his way back to the Philippines after attending the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in Peru Manila Bulletin reported.
While he does not have formal schedule of bilaterals planned during the overnight trip, Duterte held a one-hour meeting with McCully.
According to Andanar, Duterte and McCully both “conveyed desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly through strengthening trade and investment in key areas- especially dairy industry, people-to-people cooperation, and high-level exchanges.”
“Both sides discussed enhancing agricultural cooperation particularly in the dairy industry, noting that New Zealand is the Philippines’ biggest source of dairy products,” he said, adding that “New Zealand can assist in building the Philippines’ dairy industry.”
Andanar further said that during their meeting, the president recalled his successful meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos in September 2016.
