By Liza Soriano
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri stressed the need for the Philippines to build defense partnerships with the UK as part of the modernization efforts for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“We need stronger parliament-to-parliament cooperation to go along with the robust people-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and the United Kingdom,” Zubiri said.
He made the remark as he led a Senate delegation on a parliamentary visit to the UK, culminating in meetings with Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, and Lord John McFall, the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords.
Zubiri and Speaker Hoyle agreed that the Philippines and the UK are well-positioned to build stronger partnerships rooted in shared democratic principles.
Zubiri also stressed that with measures like the Ease of Doing Business Act, the Public Service Act, and the Foreign Investments Act, the Philippines is poised to expand its trade partnerships and agreements with more nations, including the UK.
“We look forward to bringing more UK investors in, to help us become a stronger and more competitive force in Southeast Asia,” he said.
(ai/mnm)