Rome, Italy
2 December 2015

President Benigno S. Aquino III and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi discussed the possibility of boosting trade and investment for both sides during their meeting at the Palazzo Chigi in Rome on Wednesday.

With the inclusion of the Philippines in the European Union’s (EU General System of Preferences Plus (GSP+), the country can be a possible manufacturing base for duty-free export.

President Aquino thanked Italy for being a good host country to more than 170,000 Filipinos living and working in Italy while Prime Minister Renzi praised the Filipinos for being ‘highly integrated’ workers.

The Chief Executive also thanked PM Renzi for their support in providing Augusta helicopters to be used in disaster relief.

Aside from the congratulations he extended to the Philippines on the successful APEC summit hosting, Prime Minister Renzi also expressed his support for the Philippines’ case against China on the issue of regarding the West Philippine Sea.

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