Prague, Czech Republic
March 14, 2024
After their one-on-one meeting, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and President Petr Pavel of Czech Republic held a bilateral meeting with their respective delegations at the Prague Castle.
The agenda centered on strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest, namely political cooperation, economic cooperation, regional and multilateral cooperation, and geopolitical issues.
Under political cooperation, President Marcos Jr. expressed interest on defense and cybersecurity cooperation with the Czech Republic given its growing expertise and capabilities.
On economic cooperation, the President seeks to increase two-way trade between the Philippines and Czech Republic, and cited the nation’s continuing impressive economic performance, notably its gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 5.6% in 2023 which is higher compared to select emerging economies in Asia, as well as its conducive economic investment environment.
He welcomes more Czech companies to invest in renewable energy, agriculture, sustainable water management projects, environmental solutions, agri-processing, information technology-business process management (IT-BPM), auto manufacturing, aerospace and space, apart from increasing people-to-people exchanges through education and tourism.
Recently, the Czech Republic announced the raising of application quota for Filipinos seeking employment cards or business visas from 5,000 to 10,300 per year starting this May. President Marcos Jr. stated that his top priority is to ensure the protection of the rights and well-being of Filipinos. The Philippines is ready to cooperate in ensuring the orderly deployment of Filipinos to Czech Republic in accordance with both Czech and Philippine laws.
The two delegations also tackled regional and multilateral cooperation, including Philippines-European Union (EU) Relations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-EU Relations and candidatures, and climate change cooperation.
President Marcos Jr. gave his firm assurance and commitment in closely working with the Czech Republic to bring bilateral relations to greater heights in the years to come.
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