The Philippines and the European Union (EU) plan to establish a joint committee to follow up and implement its recently ratified Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA).

The PCA provides for the establishment of a joint committee composed of senior level officials from both sides to implement and promote its objectives.

This joint committee will be followed by the establishment of specialized sub-committees to deal with specific areas covered under the PCA.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo said the Philippines is ready to bring its relations with the EU forward to a higher level on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

“The PCA allows the Philippines and the EU to address new challenges in a more coherent and sustainable manner through regular dialogue and cooperation,” Manalo said.

“The PCA will provide a platform for the Philippines and the EU to discuss candidly not only our common concerns, but equally important, to understand, to manage, if not transcend our differences,” Manalo said.

Retired EU ambassador James Moran said the next step of PCA implementation is to finalize the rules of procedure for the joint committee and its specialized sub-committees. Moran was the EU chief negotiator when Manalo was the ambassador to Belgium and to the EU from 2010 to 2011.

Moran said it would be helpful to take into account the experience of other PCAs in the region, such as in Indonesia where the agreement has been operational since 2016.

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen said the PCA should serve as the general framework of relations between the Philippines and the EU on areas such as political matters, human rights, justice and security, trade and investment, migration and development, and other economic development and sectoral issues.

“The entry into force of the PCA with the Philippines clearly illustrates the maturing of Philippines-EU relations between equal partners who share common values and interests,” Jessen said.

In the past, President Rodrigo Duterte had been critical toward the bloc following its statements against the human rights situation in the country.

Philippine Ambassador to Belgium Eduardo Jose de Vega said while the two parties can have different views on various issues, “we are of the same mind” that the EU and the Philippines will work for the benefit of all and the PCA will facilitate this.

Figures from the EU delegation in Manila showed that the EU is the Philippines’ third largest export partner, with exports in the first half of 2018 reaching USD4.6 billion.

This includes an increase in the agri-food, fisheries and footwear sectors, which can be attributed to the GSP+ preferential treatment.

EU foreign direct investments (FDIs) also represent the largest amount of FDIs in the Philippines. They represent more than 500,000 jobs in the country.

In the framework of a dedicated peace panel, Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza said the inter-government cooperation is vital in addressing violent extremism, stressing the importance of the EU commitment to peace.

“We hope that the work that we are doing now continues to get EU support because, to be honest with you, we need you,” Dureza said.

National Security Council chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the EU is now more important than ever in support to a resilient peace in Mindanao.

The EU-Philippines event was the first of its kind after the Senate gave its concurrence for the ratification of the PCA early this year.

A meeting between Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and United States President Donald Trump is being planned, US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said.

“President Trump has already invited President Duterte to visit Washington. It’s a question of scheduling as to when President Duterte would make a visit to the US,” Kim said.

“There is strong interest in both sides in facilitating the visit to Washington. We will continue to work at it,” Kim said.

Kim said the two leaders have forged a “very strong relationship.” Trump met with Duterte in Manila on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in November 2017, where they discussed issues on drug menace, terrorism, and trade issues.

“The two gentlemen have shared much in common including on the importance of rule of law even as the Philippines continues to pursue the serious challenge of illegal drugs in the Philippines,” Kim said.

“We understand that the drug issue is a huge challenge for the Philippines, we understand that President Duterte is so focused on that big problem and we will continue to work with the Philippine government,” Kim said.

US has been providing Manila support in areas such as demand reduction and drug rehabilitation efforts.

Among others, US has also established law enforcement cooperation with the Philippine National Police and other agencies in the country.

“Our robust law enforcement cooperation will continue and it is important both sides agree on the importance of rule of law and respect for human rights as we proceed with efforts to deal with the drug problem,” Kim said.

Kim noted the two countries’ growing partnership from defeating terrorists in Marawi City to rebuilding it after its liberation in October 2017.

“We worked together to defeat the terrorist attack on Marawi City and now we’re supporting the government’s efforts to rebuild Marawi,” Kim said.

Kim also said the economic partnership between the two countries continues to be “very strong.”

“We welcome the Philippines interest in doing a free trade agreement with US and of course President Trump had a wonderful visit to the Philippine in November, so I think the relationship is in great shape and I think the future of the relationship is very bright,” Kim said.

DUTERTE-TRUMP MEETING. President Rodrigo R. Duterte and US President Donald Trump discuss matters during a bilateral meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on November 13, 2017. (Presidential Photo)