Foreign relations of the Philippines

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received the credentials of the incoming Filipino ambassador to Azerbaijan, Marilyn Jusayan Alarilla. During a meeting following the ceremony, the ambassador conveyed Filipino President Benigno Aquino III's greetings to the Azerbaijani leader. She noted the Philippines was interested in developing the cooperation with Azerbaijan in different areas, including energy, science and technologies. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said there was potential for developing Azerbaijan–Philippines relations in many spheres, particularly the economic one.

The Philippines has yet to establish diplomatic relations with Bhutan. However, numerous senators and high-profile dignitaries from the Philippines have visited Bhutan and have expressed their intentions to spread the Gross National Happiness doctrine in the Philippines, seeing it as an effective and efficient way to enhance nation-building, environmental conservation, cultural propagation, and human rights. In September 2014, the Prime Minister of Bhutan visited the Philippines and the Asian Development Bank headquarters in Manila.[13]

In 2014, officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan visited the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center of the Philippines to gain insights about the country’s PPP Program.[14]

In April 2009, The Philippines and Brunei signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that sought to strengthen their bilateral cooperation in the fields of agricultural trade, innovation, and investments.[15] The MOU further strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two Southeast Asian countries, particularly in the fields of agriculture and farm-related trade and investments.[16] 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.[17]

The Philippines voted in favor of UN Resolution 181 concerning the partition of Palestine and the Creation of the State of Israel in 1947. The Philippines was among the 33 countries who supported the creation of Israel and the only Asian country who voted for the resolution.[25]

The Philippines and Jordan agreed to establish formal diplomatic relations and to exchange ambassadors on March 1, 1976.[26]

Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the Philippines were formally established on March 19, 1992. The Philippines maintains relations with Kazakhstan through its embassy in Russia. Kazakhstan has an honorary consulate in Manila.[27][28]

Trade between Kazakhstan and the Philippines amounted to 7.3 million U.S. dollars during the period from January to November 2010. In 2009, about 1,500 Kazakh tourists visited the Philippines. As of 2009, there are about 7,000 Overseas Filipino Workers who are working in Western Kazakhstan, mostly in the oil and gas sector. Kazakhstan is seeking Filipino investment in its economy.[29]

On 2011, Kazakhstan was planning to put up a Kazakh house in the Philippines in either Bonifacio Global City or Makati to showcase Kazakh products and promote its tourist destinations. There were also plans to put up a Philippine House in Kazakhstan for the same purpose and to put Filipino art exhibits in Kazakhstan.[30]

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, and his 27 delegates arrived in the Philippines for a three-day state visit on November 10, 2003 at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. The Kazakh officials met with their Filipino counterparts and conducted meetings. Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo met with Nazarbayev to finalize the Philippines' intent to import oil and coal from Kazakhstan and discussed possible infrastructure projects in the Central Asian country.[27]

The Philippines also supported Kazakhstan's bid to become a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum on security.[29]

The Philippines and Nepal established diplomatic relations on February 12, 1960. Both countries are members of the Non-Aligned Movement. There are about 300 Filipinos living in Nepal, mainly 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.[34][35]

The Philippines was the fifth state to recognize the Republic of Korea and the first ASEAN country to establish relations with South Korea.[39][40]

The Philippines recognizes the One-China policy but has informal relations with the Republic of China (ROC, also known as Taiwan) through the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Manila.

• Philippines has an embassy in Ankara.[45]
• Turkey has an embassy in Manila.[45]
• Trade volume between the two countries was 219.7 million USD in 2015 (Filipino exports/imports: 115.7/104 million USD).[46]
• 2,200 Philippine nationals are residing in Turkey.[45]
• There are direct flights from Istanbul to Manila since March 2015.[45]

The first round of political consultations between the Philippines and Uzbekistan was held in Tashkent on March 3, 2011. Uzbekistan expressed its support for the Philippines' bid to gain observer status in the OIC and its hopes for the resolution of the Muslim insurgency mainly affecting the southern part of the Philippines. The Philippines highlighted untapped potential, despite remote geographical position, for developing trade and economic cooperation, especially between Filipino and Uzbek financial institutions.[47]

In 2011, there were about 1,600 Filipinos working in Yemen with about a thousand in the capital of Sana'a. The majority worked in the health and petroleum industries. Yemen supports the Philippines' bid for observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and a peaceful resolution to the Islamic insurgency in the Philippines.[49]

Equatorial Guinea supported the Philippines's bid for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.[58]

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.[59]

The Philippines and Ethiopia signed their first air agreement in 2014.[60]

The Republic of Ghana has opened its consulate in the Philippines to extend and render assistance to Ghanaians and help maintain relations between the two countries.[62]

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.[65]

Sierra Leone and the Philippines have pledged to strengthen bilateral relations to the mutual benefit of both countries. The two countries, vow to work further to expand their relations in the socio-economic, political and cultural fields.[72]

The Philippines officially recognized South Sudan as a sovereign and independent state soon after South Sudan declared its independence on July 9, 2011.[73]

Bolivia and Philippines were both Spanish colonies, diplomatic relations between the two countries began in 1970. The Philippine Embassy in Buenos Aires exercised jurisdiction over Bolivia. Furthermore, the Embassy of Bolivia in Tokyo has jurisdiction over the Philippines, while the Philippine Embassy in Santiago, Chile, has jurisdiction over Bolivia. It also has two honorary consulates in Bolivia in the cities of La Paz and Santa Cruz de la Sierra. There are about 15 Filipinos in Bolivia most of them are religious missionaries and others are married with Bolivians.[78]

Barbados established formal relations with the Philippines with the signing of a Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations in New York on June 22, 2009. The establishment of relations was proposed by Barbados the year before through the Philippines' embassy in Caracas in Venezuela.[80]

With the closure of the Philippine Embassy in Caracas in 2012, jurisdiction was transferred to the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on April 19, 1993.[81]

• The Philippines and Armenia established bilateral relations in 1992.
• Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan visited the Philippines in 2012, the highest government official of Armenia to ever visit the Philippines.[92]
• Armenia has an ambassador resident in Hanoi.[93]
• The Philippines has an ambassador resident in Moscow.[93]

The Philippines and Finland share bilateral diplomatic relations established on July 14, 1955. The Philippines had an embassy in Helsinki, closed in 2012 due to a restructuring of the DFA's budget. 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.

• Both countries have established diplomatic relations in 1972.[103]
• A number of bilateral agreements in various fields have been concluded and are in force between both countries.[104]

Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Sweden were established in 1947, and have steadily intensified during the years. Sweden has long been a development partner of the Philippines. Sweden's cooperation with the Philippines focuses on issues concerning the environment, human rights, good governance, training, and assistance to non-government organizations (NGOs).