MANILA, Philippines - France has confirmed that the Philippines will no longer be included in the updated French fiscal blacklist of countries that do not help investigate foreign aid fraud, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius confirmed this to the Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario during political consultations on May 31 at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris.
Fabius referred to the reported inclusion of the Philippines in the foreign aid fraud blacklist as incorrect.
Del Rosario thanked Fabius for France’s proactive assistance in helping the Philippines address the European Union (EU)’s airline safety concerns, and the French Minister gave assurance that a positive decision from the EU was forthcoming.
Discussions between Del Rosario and Fabius covered a range of bilateral issues.
Del Rosario shared with his counterpart the recent positive developments in the Philippines, particularly the country’s posting of the highest first quarter GDP growth rate of 7.8 percent, which is also the highest in Asia.
The DFA chief underscored that President Aquino’s commitment to good governance has definitely translated into good economics for the country.
Del Rosario also expressed his admiration for France’s leadership in Europe and in the international community and told Fabius that he is confident that France will be able to surmount its economic difficulties.
Del Rosario also said that the Philippines is very much looking forward to engaging with France, especially in the priority sectors of agriculture, infrastructure and tourism.
He particularly sought France’s assistance in upgrading the Philippines’ tourism capabilities, noting that France is the cultural capital and the most popular tourist destination in the world.
On the political front, Del Rosario and Fabius both agreed that reviving the political consultation process would be an effective mechanism for charting the future of bilateral relations. Opportunities in defense cooperation were also explored, including the updating of the 1994 Philippines-France Defense Cooperation Arrangement, which they said could be further pursued by both countries’ defense ministers.
The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including the maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine initiative of bringing its case before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Arbitral Tribunal.
In highlighting the importance given to France, Del Rosario reiterated to Fabius President Aquino’s invitation to French President François Hollande to visit the Philippines.
The DFA chief also conveyed Aquino’s gratitude to Hollande for inviting the Philippine President to visit France, which Del Rosario said could happen early next year.
The meeting is the first since 2001, when the last political consultations were held, and comes on the heels of the historic and successful visit to the Philippines of French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and a big French business delegation last October.
Del Rosario acknowledged Fabius as a special friend of the Philippines, recalling that in 1986 Fabius, who was then France’s prime minister, was among the first to acknowledge the government of former President Corazon Aquino following the people power revolution.
For his part, Fabius conveyed the French government’s appreciation for what the Philippines has been doing and has achieved in the past years, and expressed France’s desire to forge close partnerships with the Philippines in various areas of endeavor.