Foreign Relations of The Philippines - Relations With Specific Countries and Regions

Argentina and the Philippines were former Spanish colonies. In 2012, both countries commemorated the 65th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral, diplomatic, and trade relations. Both countries also proposed separate bilateral agreeements on culture, education, and sports in the future as well as cooperation on the promotion of the study of the Spanish language. Argentina has an embassy in Manila, and the Philippines has an embassy in Buenos Aires. Argentine Foreign Secretary Hector Timerman, the first foreign minister from Latin America to visit the Philippines under the administration of President Aquino. Del Rosario and Timerman are to discuss how to broaden the relations and people and cultural engagement between the two countries. Argentina is expected to export citrus to the Philippines.

Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on Wednesday signed two bilateral agreements which were meant to expand bilateral relations between the two countries. The agreement between the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia established a mechanism on political consultation meant to monitor Philippine-Armenia relation.

It also said the agreement included the establishment of the Waiver on Visa for Diplomatic and Official Passport Holders, meant to increase people-to-people contacts and “expand the levels of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

As concerns over terrorism in South East Asia grew, Australia became the second largest provider of defense training to the Philippines after the United States. In 2003, the governments of Australia and the Philippines signed an MOU pertaining to the combating of international terrorism and transnational crime.

Subsequently, in May 2007 on a visit to Australia by President Arroyo, Australia and the Philippines signed a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement. The agreement was signed in Canberra, Australia on 31 May 2007 by Philippine Defense Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr. and his Australian counterpart Defence Minister Brendan Nelson. The Philippine Senate ratified the agreement on July 24, 2012.

Australia assisted the Philippines and the United States in battles in the Philippines during World War II.

Bangladesh and the Philippines have had a very close and friendly relations since the birth of Bangladesh. The Philippines supported the liberation of Bangladesh and recognized it on February 24, 1972. The Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations spoke in favor of the nation during its liberation struggle and also during Bangladesh’s admission to the United Nations in 1974.

In June 2009, The Philippines and Brazil made their pledges as they signed mutual cooperation agreements in the fields of bio-energy and agriculture. The two countries committed themselves to take the necessary steps to implement the signed Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Agriculture and the Memorandum of Understanding on Bioenergy Cooperation. The Philippines and Brazil signed six memoranda of understanding and agreements on the development and production of renewable energy, and agriculture cooperation. It intends to “facilitate technical cooperation... on the production and use of biofuels, particularly ethanol, and promote the expansion of bilateral trade and investment in biofuel.”

In April 2009, The Philippines and Brunei signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that seeks to strengthen the bilateral cooperation of the two countries in the fields of agriculture and farm-related trade and investments. The MOU further strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two Southeast Asian countries, particularly in the fields of agriculture and farm-related trade and investments. The two countries have agreed to cooperate in plant science, crops technology, vegetable and fruit preservation, biotechnology, post-harvest technology, livestock, organic agriculture, irrigation and water resources and Halal industry.

The Philippines and Cambodia were formally established there diplomatic relations in 1956. The two countries have an agreements on economic and trade relations, agricultural and agribusiness collaboration, and tourism cooperation. Both countries have maintained cordial ties since the resumption of diplomatic relations in 1995 and the re-opening of the Cambodian Embassy in Manila in 1999.

Philippine–Canadian relations officially began in 1972 when the first Canadian mission in 1949 was upgraded to a full embassy. But years before that—in the 1890s, Canadian investments had preceded Canadian diplomacy in Manila. Trade between Manila and Ottawa has grown steadily. The Philippines is Canada’s largest agricultural-food export market in Southeast Asia. The Canadian International Development Agency works actively in the far-flung communities with local governments and nongovernmental organizations, in the areas of agricultural cooperatives, local governance and small-business development. More than 60 percent of the Canadian International Development Agency’s resources targets strife-torn Mindanao to help restore peace and rebuild lives and properties.

The Philippines and Chile were both former Spanish colonies. Diplomatic relations between Chile and the Philippines began in 1854 when Chile opened a consulate in Binondo, Manila. But the formal relations established in July 4, 1946, the day that Filipinos officially gained there independence from the United States. In 2012, the Philippines and Chile are eyeing partnerships in mining and geothermal energy, President Sebastian Piñera shares stories about his country to President Benigno Aquino III during a bilateral meeting on Saturday in Russia, where the APEC summit is currently being held, President Piñera also mentioned to President Aquino that his country needs English teachers, a potential jobs that awaits Filipinos in Chile.

The Philippines and China established diplomatic relations on June 9, 1975 with the signing of the Joint Communiqué by leaders of the two countries. Since then bilateral relations between the two countries have developed steadily despite some difficulties. Both countries have maintained high level contacts and exchanges.

Several major bilateral agreements were signed between the two countries over the years, such as: Joint Trade Agreement (1975); Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement (1978); Postal Agreement (1978); Air Services Agreement (1979); Visiting Forces Agreement (1999); Cultural Agreement (1979); Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (1992); Agreement on Agricultural Cooperation (1999); Tax Agreement (1999); and Treaty on Mutual Judicial Assistance on Criminal Matters (2000). In May 2000, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, the two countries signed a Joint Statement defining the framework of bilateral relations in the 21st century.

Bilateral relations between the Philippines and China have significantly progressed in recent years. The growing bilateral relations were highlighted by the state visit to China of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 29–31 October 2001. During the visit, President Arroyo held bilateral talks with top Chinese leaders, namely President Jiang Zemin, NPC Chairman Li Peng, and Premier Zhu Rongji. President Arroyo also attended the 9th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting held in Shanghai on October 20–21, 2001, where she also had bilateral talks with President Jiang. During President Arroyo's visit, eight important bilateral agreements were signed.

In June 2009, The Philippines and Croatia concluded two agreements on cooperation in the fields of culture and sports, which paved the way for greater people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. The agreements were a Memorandum of Agreement on Cultural Cooperation, which aims to promote better understanding between the peoples of the two countries and a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Sports.

Cuba and the Philippines were both former Spanish colonies. Spanish rule on both countries was ended by the victory of the United States in the Spanish-American War as provisions of the Treaty of Paris giving Cuba independence and the Philippines becoming a new possession of the United States. Cuba has an embassy in Manila and the Philippines has an embassy in Havana.

Despite the Philippines being a long-time of ally of the United States, which has currently unfavorable relations with Cuba, The Philippines has denounced the United States embargo against Cuba.

The current diplomatic relationship of the Czech Republic and the Philippines has its roots to the friendship of Filipino national hero Jose Rizal and Ferdinand Blumentritt even neither countries existed yet back in the 19th century. Rizal visited Blumentritt in the city of Litomerice, Bohemia (present day Czech Republic) in 1887. According to Filipino Foreign secretary Albert del Rosario, the friendship between the two men served as the foundation of the current bilateral ties between the two countries.

The Czech Republic is the Philippines’ 24th largest export market and the 8th biggest in Europe with bilateral trade amounting to $300 million from January to November last year.

Denmark–Philippines relations refers to the historical and current relations between Denmark and the Philippines. Denmark is represented in Philippines, through its embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Philippines is represented in Denmark, through its embassy in Oslo, Norway. The Philippines also have a consulate in Copenhagen.

The Philippines was actively involved in the United Nations peacekeeping forces in East Timor during its move towards independence. When several nations recognized East Timor's sovereignty, the Philippines began official diplomatic relations between the two governments with the establishment of an embassy in Dili.

The Philippines has pledged increased commerce and trade with East Timor and has also sought to cultivate cultural and educational exchanges. The two nations share a legacy in Asia as being the region's only states with Roman Catholic and other Christian majority populations.

Ever since East Timor's independence, the Philippine Military has also supported the Military of East Timor by deploying a number of soldiers to assist in peacekeeping missions and training for the soldiers of the East Timorese army.

Egypt and the Philippines established bilateral, diplomatic and trade relations in 1946 where the two countries enjoy an strong and glorious relations. Both countries has an embassies in Cairo and Manila. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo visited Egypt to held a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. This was the first time that the Philippine President is visiting Egypt.

Both the Philippines and Equatorial Guinea were former Spanish colonies. There are about 4,000 Filipino workers in Equatorial Guinea. There has been cordial ties especially in the fields of trade and investments, agriculture, education, cultural and technical cooperation. The Philippines is interested in partnering with Equatorial Guinean entities to conduct oil exploration and the possibility of importing oil from Equatorial Guinea. The Philippines is also interested in developing infrastructure for seaports to improve cargo handling and delivery. He likewise expressed Philippine interest in developing facilities for seaports to improve cargo handling and delivery.

The Philippines and Finland share bilateral diplomatic relations established in 1955. The Philippines has an embassy in Helsinki and Finland has an embassy in Manila. The Embassy in Manila is also the Finland's representative in some Pacific Island nations such as Palau, Micronesia and Marshall Islands.

During the centennial of the French Revolution in 1889, author Jose Rizal sought to organize a conference called the Association Internationale des Philippinistes with Ferdinand Blumentritt as President and Edmond Plauchut as Vice President.

The French also permitted Philippine national hero Jose Rizal to live in exile in France where he wrote the books Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. These books were also inspired by the French Literary giant Alexandre Dumas, père.

On June 26, 1947 the Philippines and France signed a Treaty of Amity which established diplomatic relations with the two countries.

• French in the Philippines

There are about 700 French citizens living in the Philippines for either education, business, work or other reasons.

The French Ministry of Culture is active in promoting French Culture through its school, Alliance Française de Manille's activities. The French Embassy in the Philippines has sponsored fashion shows, film festivals, art exhibits, wine launches and numerous concerts. It is the prime mover of the annual Fete de la Musique in Manila (at one time, one of the top ten festivals in the world). There is also an Alliance Française de Cebu in Cebu City.

The Philippines and Germany established there bilateral, diplomatic and trade relations on April 25, 1955 . A trade agreement was signed which led to a dynamic commercial cooperation between the two countries. The two countries were opened there embassies in Manila and Bonn. The German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry was established on 2008 to promote and strengthen ties between the two countries.

There is a Philippine embassy in Athens. Greece has an embassy in Manila and an honorary consulate general. There are around 40,000 Filipinos in Greece, making them one of the largest foreign communities in Greece. In addition, it is estimated that there are over 22,000 Greeks living in the Philippines. Greece and the Republic of the Philippines also share economic and trading relations.

• History

Indian elements in Philippine culture point to early relations between the two societies. However, some works posit that the influx of Indian cultural elements into the Philippines is understood only in terms of the developments in the intervening regions between these two areas, the Malayan Peninsula and the Indonesian Archipelago, where there was an intensified process of Indianization from the 2nd through the late 14th centuries A.D.

Indian influences would have reached the Philippines from the 10th through the early 14th centuries, based on the events in these two regions, and not necessarily through direct migration from the Indian subcontinent to the Philippines. Artifacts of Indian orientation have been found in some islands of the Philippines but are not very extensive. The golden image of the female Boddhisattva which was found in Agusan, was related to the development of Buddhism in Southeast Asia dating back to the late 13th and 14th centuries. The introduction of Sanskrit words and literature may be dated to the 10th and 12th centuries. Until now, Sanskrit words are still found in abundance in various Philippine languages. Then there is the folk narrative among the Maranao, known as Maharadia Lawana which shows an Indian character and whose story is very similar to the Indian epic Ramayana.

During the period 1762-1764, during the various Anglo-Spanish wars, 600 Sepoy (or native Indian) troops arrived in the Philippines as part of the military expedition of the East India Company. When the British troops withdrew, many of the Sepoys mutinied and refused to leave. They settled in what is now Cainta, Rizal. The region in and around Cainta still has many Sepoy descendants.

During the 18th century, there was robust trade between Manila and the Coromandel Coast of Bengal, involving Philippine exports of tobacco, silk, cotton, indigo, sugar cane and coffee.

• Established

The Philippines established diplomatic relations with India on 16 November 1949. The first Philippine envoy to India was the late Foreign Secretary Narciso Ramos.

Seven years after India’s independence in 1947, the Philippines and India signed a Treaty of Friendship on 11 July 1952 in Manila to strengthen the friendly relations existing between the two countries. Soon after, the Philippine Legation in New Delhi was established and then elevated to an Embassy. However, due to foreign policy differences as a result of the bipolar alliance structure of the Cold War, the development of bilateral relations was stunted. It was only in 1976 that relations started to normalize when Mr. Aditya Birla, one of India’s successful industrialists, met with then President Ferdinand E. Marcos to explore possibilities of setting up joint ventures in the Philippines. This resulted in the establishment of Indo-Philippine Textile Mills, Inc. (Indo-Phil), then the largest Indian investment in the country. Indo-Phil currently employs 2,000 Filipino workers and supplies 40% of Philippine domestic demand for yarn. In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Philippines–India diplomatic relations, and pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 1924, the month of November 2009 was proclaimed as Philippines–India Friendship Month by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Policy Consultation Talks between the two countries was established in 2000. The talks, which are held annually and conducted by the foreign offices of the two countries on the level of senior officials, aimed at discussing bilateral issues and regional and international issues of common concern.

The first RP–India Security Dialogue was held in Manila on 12 March 2004. The Philippines and India agreed to establish a security dialogue that would serve as a policy forum for sharing security assessments and for reviewing and giving direction to cooperation in bilateral/regional security and defense matters.

Both countries also signed a Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism to complement the ASEAN-India Joint Declaration to Combat International Terrorism which was adopted by the Heads of Government and States of ASEAN and India on 8 October 2003 in Bali, Indonesia. The declaration seeks to enhance intelligence and information sharing on counter-terrorism measures, strengthen capacity-building efforts through training and education, capability and readiness, including training and technical assistance; and to continue working together in the fight against the cyber crime and terrorist misuse of cyber space. The Trade Agreement between the Philippines and India was signed on 29 May 1979. In 1995, following the first Philippine Trade Mission to India, a Joint Working Group and a Joint Business Council were set up to assess and identify potentials for trade as well as identify new areas for collaboration. Since then, bilateral meetings have been held regularly.

The agreement to establish a Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation was signed during the State Visit to India of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on 5 October 2007. The establishment of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation aims to further strengthen and develop the cooperation in the field of trade, economic, scientific, technological and other fields of cooperation. The meeting of the Joint Commission will be co-chaired by the two countries’ Ministers for Foreign Affairs who will meet once every two years. The inaugural session of the Joint Commission was held on 15 March 2011, co-chaired by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario, and was held in New Delhi. During the meeting both sides agreed to move forward on cooperative initiatives in various fronts (trade, agriculture, defense).

Indonesia and the Philippines established there bilateral and diplomatic on 1949. The Indonesian Government has opened its Consular office in Manila but it was not until the mid-1950s that an Embassy was established headed by an Ambassador. A treaty of friendship was signed on 1951. This Treaty constituted the basic relationship of both countries, covering several aspects such as maintenance of peace and friendship, settlement of disputes by diplomatic and peaceful means, traffic arrangements for citizens of both countries and activities to promote cooperation in the area of trade and cultural, which include the political, social-economic and security matters of both countries.

Ambassador Aladin G. Villacorte presented his Letters of Credence to H.R. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran at ceremonies held at the Presidential Palace in Tehran on September 10, 2007. In a brief statement, Ambassador Villacorte expressed his warm felicitations on behalf of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the Filipino people, underscoring the Philippine commitment to see full range of our relations to grow and mature, particularly in the fields of trade and investment, tourism and culture. Ambassador Villacorte also emphasized that both Philippines and Iran have collaborate on issue of global concern. “Indeed we have made significant contributions to the promotion of the better understanding among nations through interfaith dialogue and cooperation."

There is also a population of thousands of Iranians living in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila.

Relations between Iraq and the Philippines was established after Iraq opened its embassy in the Philippines on January 12, 1975 and the Philippines started its mission on September 19, 1980. The Philippine transferred its embassy from Baghdad to the Jordan's capital Amman after 2003 and Iraq closed its embassy, but diplomatic relations remains unaltered. The Iraqi embassy in Manila reopened on November 22, 2006 and the Philippine embassy in Iraq resumed operations by the end of November 2011. Currently the Philippine government has a ban on deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers to Iraq, except to the Kurdistan region.

The Irish and the Filipinos have long had a close relationship, and are especially close in modern times. The Republic of Ireland has a sizeable Filipino community because it is a major employer of Filipino nurses in Europe.

The Philippines was the only Asian nation to vote on the United Nations partition resolution on November 29, 1947; voting in favor. The partition resolution was passed 33 to 13 with 10 abstentions, and created the country of Israel in the former British Mandate of Palestine. Full diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Israel did not occur until 1957. The Philippine Embassy opened in Tel Aviv in 1962; the Israeli embassy opened in Manila in the same year. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the two countries in 1997, further cementing bilateral political dialogue between the foreign ministries. There are approximately 60,000 Filipino workers, in Israel.

The first Philippine diplomatic Mission to Italy was established on 1948 as a legation, subsequently elevated to the level of an Embassy on 1956. Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Italy were established on 1947. A Treaty of Friendship and General Relations was signed in Rome and ratified on 1948.

The Philippines and Côte d'Ivoire established diplomatic relation and recognized a state on August 7, 1960. There were some 100 Filipinos in Côte d'Ivoire, mostly professional and skilled workers and some permanent residents, and the Philippine government had repatriated 10 Filipinos after tensions in the country started following the second round of the 2010 presidential elections.

Relations between the Philippines and Japan have rapidly improved since the end of World War II. Modern relations between the Philippines and Japan are very close and Japan is a key trading, economic and possibly military ally of the Philippines. Japan has also assisted the Philippines in building tunnels, bridges and highways (motorway) in Metro Manila, and is a main source of rail equipment and advisor for rail transport development. In 2005/2006 Japan dropped an US$8 billion debt with the Philippines and after the Leyte Mud slide Japan deployed soldiers to Leyte to assist Filipino and foreign workers. There are thousands of Japanese nationals/citizens (civilians) living in the Philippines (see Ethnic groups in the Philippines for details). Japanese business people have opened a large number of businesses in the Philippines offering jobs to Filipino workers.

The Philippines and Kenya have forged a historic agreement to strengthen ties between both countries. Under a Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), both Manila and Nairobi will meet on a regular basis to explore ways to broaden and strengthen political, economic, scientific, technical, social and cultural cooperation between the two countries. The agreement “is the first ever signed agreement between the two countries and will serve as the foundation for collaborative ties and provide guidance for the future of Philippines-Kenya relations".

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario met Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith met in a two day talk from April 6–7, 2011 thus further boosting the almost 55 years of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Laos which was commemorated last 2010.

The talks involved the convening the Joint Bilateral Commission between the two countries, the establishment of the Philippines-Laos Business Council, cultural exchange, Overseas Filipinos in Laos and cooperation within the ASEAN and other regional and international organizations.

Philippine Business Mission to Vientiane was also conducted in July 2010 which was fully supported by the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and encouraged Philippine businesses to invest and set operations in Laos. A second business mission to Vientiane was also discussed in the talks.

On May 2012, The Philippines and Laos signed four agreements to improve bilateral relations.

Philippines has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysia has an embassy in Manila. The people of the two neighboring countries speak both Austronesian languages, and have a long history of close economic and political relations. They are both founding members of ASEAN, and are important trading partners. The two countries have participated in joint conservation measures in the Sulu Sea, which lies between the two countries. Malaysia has assisted in peacekeeping efforts in the Muslim insurgency in Mindanao. The countries are both involved in ongoing disputes over ownership of the Spratly Islands and the Philippines has a claim over the Sabah state in northern Borneo though this is currently not being actively pursued.

Mexico and the Philippines share a myriad of traditions and customs derived from historical ties established since the 16th century. Their common history dates back to the time when both countries were part of New Spain. King Philip II of Spain ordered the expedition known as the Legazpi exploration. During the Mexican administration of the Philippines, other than General Legazpi, all of the governor-generals were born in Mexico. Due to the extensive contact with the Philippines in those days, many cultural traits were adopted by one another, with Mexicans remaining in the Philippines, and Filipinos establishing in Mexico, particularly the central west coast, near the port town of Acapulco. Many Nahuatl words were adopted and popularized in the Philippines, such as Tianggui (market fair) and Zapote (a fruit).

Mexico administered the Philippines up until 1815, when the insurgent movement begun and Spain had to take direct control of the islands. After the colonial administration period from Mexico, the first official contacts of Mexico with the Philippines were established in 1842, when a Mexican Representation was opened in Manila. With the assignment of Mexican Diplomat Evaristo Butler Hernandez in the Philippines in 1878.

In 1935, Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs appointed Alfredo Carmelo y de las Casas as Honorary Consul of Mexico in the Philippines, position that he held until 1945. After the Second World War, the Independence of the Philippines brought forth a new era of relations between the two countries. Mexico dispatched an envoy to participate in the festivities to celebrate the birth of the Southeast Asian nation. Diplomatic ties between both countries were formalized on April 14, 1953. The year of 1964 was decreed the "Year of Philippine-Mexican Friendship" to celebrate the Fourth Centennial of the Expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi. In modern day, the conquest of the Philippines is seen as a Spanish initiative, while Mexicans view it as a historical link of brotherly friendship, and several groups intend on strengthening relations between the two countries.

Mexico has an embassy in Manila, and the Philippines has an embassy in Mexico City. Both countries share a multitude of bilateral agreements including cooperation in Science, Technology, Culture, Tourism, Education, and the fight against illegal drug trafficking and abuse. There is currently an initiative to distinguish the long lasting relation by formalizing the Filipino section of Mexico City's Chinatown by creating Barrio Manila or Barrio Filipino(Little Manila) in or near the current area within Downtown Mexico City.

The Philippines and Mongolia established diplomatic relations in October 1973. There are 261 registered Filipinos in Mongolia according to figures from the Mongolian Immigration Agency as of July 2011. Most of the Filipinos in Mongolia are engineers,miners, teachers, missionaries and social service volunteers. The Philippines established an honorary consulate in Ulaanbaatar on July 21, 2011.

The Philippines and Nepal established diplomatic relations on February 12, 1960. Both countries are members of the Nonaligned Movement. There are about 300 Filipinos living in Nepal, who were either missionaries, professionals, skilled workers, volunteers or spouses of Nepalese or other nationals as of March 2011. Approximately 500 Nepalese students are studying in the Philippines for their higher-level education.

The Netherlands is currently one of Philippines most important trading partners within the EU. The two have shared major trading partnership back to when the Philippines was a Spanish colony.

The Philippines and New Zealand share normal diplomatic, trade, (small scale) military and economic relations. The Philippines and New Zealand were/are also partners in the Korean War, Vietnam War and War on Terror. The Philippines has an embassy in Wellington and 2 other consulates, one in Auckland and in Christchurch. There are over 16,000 Filipinos residing in New Zealand.

The New Zealand police is currently helping the Philippine National Police combat methamphetamine. The New Zealand Police also helps in providing training to the Philippine National Police.

Nigeria continues to be a hub for Overseas Filipinos primarily workers involved in the oil, gas and construction industry of the country. While Filipinos go to Nigeria for employment Nigerians go to the Philippines to pursue their higher education studies. The Philippines previously imposed a deployment ban to Nigeria due to incidents of kidnappings of Filipino seafarers in the Niger Delta between 2006-2009 but has since been lifted after the Philippines recognized that the insurgency in the Delta has been properly addressed.

By the end of 2011, there were 7,240 Filipinos in Nigeria, mostly professionals and spouses of Nigerian nationals.

Relations between the Philippines and Norway established on 2 March 1948. Recently there has been an increasing number of Filipinos in Norway, with about 12,000 Overseas Filipino living in Norway. Norwegian ship owners employs about 35,000 Filipino seafarers in Norwegian vessels and shipyards.

Norway is also an important facilitator in talks between the government of the Philippines and the CPP-NDF-NPA, in an effort to put an end to the Communist Insurgency in the Philippines.

Despite the fact that the Philippines sided with North Korea's belligerent, South Korea in the Korean war, The two countries finally established diplomatic relations in 2000 after more than 20 years of negotiations, although trade between the two countries is almost non-existent, as they both still have a trade embargo.

In 2007, the agreement was boosted further and was signed by Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo and North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun during the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Manila.

Philippines has a representation in Pyongyang, thru embassy in Beijing; and North Korea has a representation thru its embassy in Bangkok.

The official visit by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to the Philippines on April 18, 2005 signaled increased relations between the two nations. Four agreements were signed in the presence of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and visiting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in the presidential palace:

• a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on combating terrorism and certain other crimes;
• an agreement on the abolition of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic passports and the facilitation of issuance of entry visas to holders of official passports;
• an agreement on program of cultural exchanges from 2005 to 2009, calling for the implementation of various exchanges in the cultural information materials, performing arts and the promotion, conservation, restoration of historical and cultural patrimony; and
• a MOU formalizing the business agreements between the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) and United Marketing of Pakistan for the supply of pharmaceuticals from Pakistan to support the low-cost medicines program of the Philippine government.

Apart from the four agreements, President Musharraf also assured Pakistan's full support for the Philippine government's efforts to end the decades old rebellion in the southern islands of Mindanao.

The Philippines has an embassy in Melekeok and Palau has an embassy in Manila. In January 2012, The Department of Foreign Affairs plans to close at least 10 embassies and consulates due to various economic grounds and the embassy on Palau is reported to be one of them. Palau President Johnson Toribiong requested President Benigno Aquino III to reconsider the closure of the Filipino embassy stationed in his country.

Toribiong said the Palau was “extremely disheartened” concerning the intention to close the Philippine's embassy in the country. The 5,000 Filipinos in the island nation is a main concern whether to close or maintain the Filipino embassy according to the Palau President. 20 percent of the population in Palau are Overseas Filipinos or 25 percent of the country's total labor force. Overseas Filipinos in Palau are employed at almost all fields of work whether white-collar or blue-collar jobs. According to the Palau President, Filipino overseas workers are a vital component of Palau’s economy.

Through the Philippine Embassy, residents of Palau are given access to the Philippine's higher education and healthcare. About 100-150 patients are referred and sent to the Philippines through Palau's Medical Referral Program.

Maritime borders of the two countries remains to be unsettled and remains to be defined by delimitation talks.

In March 2009, The Philippines and Papua New Guinea entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would enhance the cooperation between the two countries on the development of fisheries. The MoU will facilitate technology transfer in aquaculture development, promotion of shipping ventures, investments, technical training, joint research, and “strategic complementation” of each country’s plans in the “Coral Triangle” – or the waters between the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Pacific Islands. The fisheries trade is significantly responsible for recent overall trade growth between the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.

Philippines-Romania relations are foreign relations between the Philippines and Romania. The Philippines has an embassy in Bucharest. Romania has an embassy in Manila and 2 honorary consulates (in Angeles City and Cebu City). Both countries are full members of the Latin Union.

Philippine ambassador to Moscow, Russia Ernesto V. Llamas, reported to the Department of foreign affairs that the Philippines and Russia observed 30 years of formal, diplomatic relations on June 2, 2006, through an exchange of top-level officials in the mass media and a recognition of initiatives in the field of politics, economics, culture and tourism. Llamas said that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged official messages in the two countries' leading newspapers, The Philippine Star and Lzvestia. As of 2007, the Russian ambassador to the Philippines is Vitaly Y. Vorobiev. Russia has an embassy in Manila. The Philippines has an embassy in Moscow, and two honorary consulates (in Saint Petersburg and Vladivostok).

Russian Ambassador to the Philippines said on Tuesday, April 24, that Russia is laying the infrastructure to become a major oil supplier to Asian countries and is considering proposals to build an oil refinery and storage facilities in the Philippines to serve Southeast Asia. Southeast Asian countries have expressed interest in Russia's plans to become an important energy provider in the region and Moscow should carefully plan how it could assume that crucial role, Ambassador Vitaly Vorobiev told foreign correspondents.

Due to a sharp increase in the number of Filipino nationals being sought to work in private homes throughout Russia, the Philippine Government has deemed it necessary to impose new requirements on the direct hiring of Filipino housekeepers and nannies in Russia in order to secure their well-being through placement in qualified households as well as ensure the engagement of only competent staff.

Relations between the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have remained robust. The two countries share common interests in international and multilateral organizations and have stood on the same side on many issues in the United Nations and other international forums.

Saudi Arabia, through its membership in the Organization of the Islamic Conference Ministerial Committee of Six, which facilitated the forging of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines-Moro National Liberation Front (GRP-MNLF) Peace Agreement, has been a supporter of peace and development in Southern Philippines.

Saudi Arabia is the second biggest employer of Filipinos, the second home of around 1.2 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). The government of Saudi Arabia provides scholarship grants to Muslim students of Mindanao. It also gives financial assistance for the construction of schools and Islamic centers all over the country and provides support for Filipino pilgrims to Hajj and Umrah.

Sierra Leone and the Philippines have pledged to strengthen bilateral relations to the mutual benefit of both countries. The two countries, which are celebrating 20 years of diplomatic relations this week, vow to work further to expand their relations in the socio-economic, political and cultural fields.

South Africa and the Philippines established relations on November 1, 1993. South Africa is the largest trading partner of the Philippines in Africa and the Philippines ranked South Africa as it's 36th largest trading partner in 2008. The visit of South African President Nelson Mandela in March 1997 led to the ratification of the Philippines-South Africa Trade Agreement in 2002.

There are about 1,890 Overseas Filipino Workers stationed in South Africa, most of them working in garments and packaging industries while the some are professionals. There are Filipinos in South Africa married to South Africans and other nationals living in the country.

South Korea is one of the Philippines' largest trading partners. The two nations were especially close as the Armed Forces of the Philippines, under the United Nations command of Douglas MacArthur, were pledged to fight for South Korea and its allies in the Korean War. On 2011, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited the Philippines during the Korea Philippine Business forum together with Philippine President Benigno Aquino III.

The Philippines recognized South Sudan's independence on August 1, 2011, almost a month after the later's declaration of independence. There are about 150 Overseas Filipino Workers stationed in South Sudan. The Filipino embassy in Cairo has jurisdiction on South Sudan.

The Philippines was the lone Spanish colony in Asia for almost three and a half centuries. There continues to be mixed feelings between many Filipinos towards Spain and the common negative resentment most Filipinos have towards the colonial mentality that has been ingrained in many Filipinos, but relations have improved significantly over the years since after independence. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo concluded her second state visit in Spain in July 2006, bringing back millions of dollars of Spanish investments, particularly in Tourism and Information Technology. The Spanish king, Juan Carlos I, also reiterated in Mrs. Arroyo's visit, his support for her project in the Philippines to re-establish Spanish as an official language in the country. He and his wife, Queen Sofia attended the 1998 centennial celebrations in Manila, commemorating 100 years of independence from Spain. The mediation of King Juan Carlos I is said to have produced the pardon and liberation of 2 Filipina domestic workers sentenced to death in Kuwait and the UAE.

Sri Lanka and the Philippines established there bilateral, diplomatic and trade relations in 1951, the Philippines opens a legation in Colombo. The relations were upgraded to the Embassy level in Colombo and Manila in 1964 respectively. On 1990, the Sri Lanka government decided to close down the Embassy in Manila, while the Government of the Philippines also closed down their embassy in Colombo on June 1993.

Bilateral ties between the Philippines and Switzerland dates back to the early 19th century when Swiss traders, missionaries and travelers went to Southeast Asia. A Swiss representation in the Philippines was proposed in 1851, which was realized with the opening of a Swiss honorary consulate in Manila in 1862. Formal relations was established between the two countries on August 30, 1956. The Philippines has an embassy in Bern and Switzerland has an embassy in Manila.

The Philippines recognize the One China Policy but has relations to the Republic of China (ROC, also known as Taiwan) through the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Manila. Both offices were established in 1975 and were organized as non-profit and non-stock private corporations.

Total Investment Amount: US$1.1 billion (Taiwan is the 5th largest foreign investor in the Philippines)

Philippine Exports to Taiwan: US$3.1 billion

Philippine Imports from Taiwan: US$2.3 billion

OFWs in Taiwan: 87,000 (the 2nd largest foreign worker nationality group in Taiwan)

Trips to the Philippines by Taiwanese: 73,000 people (the 5th in foreign tourist arrivals in the Philippines)

By early March 2011, the Philippines deported 15 Taiwanese drug pushers to Beijing,China. The ROC protested against this action. The Philippine government sent Manuel Roxas II to talk with ROC President Ma Ying-jeou. During the visit, Roxas mentioned that the Philippines "regret" their actions. But the ROC maintained that the Philippines apologize for their action. The mission failed, so a second one was sent, headed again by Roxas. The mission, however, failed. From then on, ROC-Philippine relations became strained. But now the ROC and Philippines are back to normal.

The Thai-Philippine Relations continues to be warm and friendly. Formal Relations with Thailand was established 14 June 1949. Thailand is one of the Philippines major trade partners and one of the Philippines' source of rice through Thai exports. Bilateral Relations continues to be strengthen through talks and agreements on economic, security and cultural matters including concerns on Rice trade, fight on drugs and human trafficking.

The Philippine Embassy in Abud Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates formally opened in June 17, 1980. The United Arab Emirates is dependent on expatriate workers, with a significant number of them are Filipinos. There are about 600,000 Filipinos in the Emirates. As efforts to expand labor relations the UAE is prospecting in areas of highly skilled labor, agriculture and environment studies.Total trade between the Philippines and the UAE increased to $1.61 billion in 2010 from $1 billion in 2009.

The UK and the Philippines have good relations. In 2002 President Arroyo and the then Prime Minister Tony Blair met to talk about Poverty and Terrorism. Then in December 2007 President Arroyo met Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to talk about the situation of Filipinos in the UK.

The Philippines has been one of the UK's major recruitment countries for nurses and over 80,000 Filipino nurses and care-givers work in the UK. The total Philippine community in the UK is estimated to be about 150,000. About 65,000 British nationals visit the Philippines annually.

The UK has also supplied the Philippine military with the Simba APC, Alvis Scorpion Tank, and the Peacock class patrol vessel.

The United States and the Philippines continue to enjoy excellent relations with each other. The United States was the architect of the current form of government in the Philippines through a series of acts of the United States Congress towards the creation of a commonwealth. The relationship between the two nations is founded on the Philippines' history as an American territory and commonwealth before achieving independence.

The two societies also share some cultural identities: the plans of Manila and Baguio City were designed by Daniel Burnham of Chicago, Illinois, Americans and Filipinos speak the English language, and are largely Christian.

The two share political heroes: William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. both served as Governors-General of the Philippines and Douglas MacArthur liberated the islands from the Japanese during World War II.

The Philippines is a largely Roman Catholic country. The Pope appointed several Americans as bishops of the various Philippines dioceses during the territorial and commonwealth years, including leadership over the Archdiocese of Manila. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed an American to be his ambassador to the Philippines, Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Shortly after the conclusion of the Spanish-American War and the transfer of sovereignty over the Philippines from Spain to the United States via the Treaty of Paris which ended that war, the insurgent First Philippine Republic government declared war on the United States. The Philippine-American War ended with the loss of more than 4000 American soldiers, and the deaths of up to 1,000,000 Filipinos. In the US, this war is largely forgotten, or remembered simply as the aftermath of the Spanish-American War. In the Philippines, it is remembered as a patriotic struggle for independence, and for the brief institution of the First Philippine Republic.

The Philippines Embassy is located in Washington, D.C. With the geographic extent of the United States and its large number of Filipino resident aliens, the Philippines established several official consulates: Agana, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York City, Saipan and San Francisco. Honorary consulates were opened in other locations. Each official consulate has jurisdiction over a number of U.S. states. For example, the Consul in Chicago oversees a territory of fourteen states in the Midwestern United States.

Since the Spanish-American War, the United States has had a military presence in various forms in the Philippines. Filipinos fought alongside Americans in World War I, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. Today, the two are allies in the War on Terrorism. While its military bases were closed during the presidency of Fidel V. Ramos, the United States continues to adhere to the Mutual Defense Treaty ratified by the United States and Philippines senates in 1951.

In 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush declared the Philippines as a major non-NATO ally, an important defense designation of the United States. Now defunct, the Philippines joined the American-developed South East Asia Treaty Organization during the Cold War. SEATO was a NATO-type military alliance created to combat Communist threats in Southeast Asia.

Today, the two countries are primarily partners in counterterrorism. Both the Philippines and the United States share intelligence and engage in military exercises in Mindanao and RIMPAC in Hawaii.

The Philippines and the United States supported each other in wars such as:

• The Spanish-American War
• World War I
• World War II
• Hukbalahap Rebellion
• The Korean War
• Communist Insurgency in the Philippines
• The Vietnam War
• Gulf War
• War in Kosovo
• War on Terror
  • Insurgency in the Philippines
  • Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines
• 2003 Invasion of Iraq

• R.P-U.S Mutual Defense Treaty

The Mutual Defense Treaty Between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America was signed and ratified on August 30, 1951 in Washington, D.C. between representatives of the Philippines and the United States. The overall accord contained eight articles and dictated that both nations would support each other if either the Philippines or the United States were to be attacked by an external party.

• R.P-U.S Visiting Forces Agreement

The Philippines has bilateral agreements with the United States relating to the status of visiting forces.

First round of political consultations were held in Tashkent on March 3, 2011 between the Philippines and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan expressed support for the Philippines bid to gain observer status in the OIC and hopes for the resolution of the Muslim insurgency mainly affecting the southern part of the Philippines. The Philippines highlighted untapped potentials, despite remote geographical position, for developing trade-economic cooperation and expanding interactions between financial institutions.

Both Venezuela and the Philippines share a Hispanic heritage and relations between the two countries has been warm and friendly since it formal establishment of ties on August 27, 1968. Venezuela has an embassy in Manila and the Philippines has an embassy in Caracas.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made a state visit in the Philippines in 1999 and signed the RP-Venezuela Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation and a Memorandum of Understanding on Trade and Investment.

Venezuela is the Philippine's 5th largest trading partner in South America with Philippine exports increasing to 38 million dollars in 2004, compared to just 1.6 million dollars of 2003. The Philippines is willing to work with Venezuela in both energy and power industries.

Since the end of the Cold War relations between the Philippines and Vietnam have warmed rapidly. Today the Philippines and Vietnam are economic allies and have a free trade deal with each other. Both nations are a part of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The Philippines and Vietnam have conducted joint military exercises together in the South China Sea and are trying to find ways to turn the Spratly Islands from an area of conflict to an area of cooperation.

The Philippines and Vietnam are also monitoring China's expansion into the South China Sea making sure that China is no threat to either Philippine or Vietnamese islands in the South China Sea. The Philippines also imports a large amount of writing material, clothes and other products from Vietnam. On May 2009, The Philippines signed an agreement with Vietnam to cooperate in the fight against crime and to ensure social order. On January 2010, the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnam bourse “for mutual collaboration and communication of information and experience” to facilitate the development and efficient operation of both securities markets.