Philippines, Israel seek to expand security, economic ties

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos met with visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Eliyahu Cohen at Malacañang yesterday as part of efforts to boost security and economic ties between the two countries.

Cohen arrived Sunday for a two-day visit aimed at expanding cooperation between the Philippines and Israel, particularly in the areas of security and the economy.

It was the first time in 56 years that an Israeli foreign minister visited the Philippines since former foreign minister Abba Eban in March 1967.

Malacañang has yet to provide details on the meeting.

Israel and the Philippines are celebrating the 65th anniversary of bilateral relations this year.

Recently, the Philippine Navy acquired Israeli Shaldag-class patrol boats to boost the military’s capability to strengthen the country’s defense of its shorelines.

Marcos earlier said the patrol vessels would be deployed to the West Philippine Sea to help protect the country’s waters and would also be utilized for disaster and humanitarian operations.

The Philippines and Israel signed Monday an agreement that will provide opportunities for both countries to share best practices in addressing common challenges related to the environment and preservation of ecosystems.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Protection, with the two countries to share best practices to address the challenges of disaster risk management and promotion and dissemination of environmental technologies, was signed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Foreign Minister Cohen after their bilateral meeting.

Manalo and his counterpart discussed priority areas of cooperation during the meeting.

He said the relationship between the Philippines and Israel is a unique and enduring one, characterized by friendship, goodwill and strong people-to-people ties which predated the founding of the Israeli state.

“These ties have deep roots, going back to the time when president Manuel L. Quezon, through his ‘Open Door Policy,’ provided safe haven for an estimated 1,300 Jewish refugees who were fleeing the Nazi regime,” Manalo said.

The secretary highlighted the need to expand cooperation in areas such as defense and security, tourism, trade and investment, agriculture, science and technology and people-to-people ties.

The Philippine side emphasized the importance of promoting peace and stability, as well as confidence-building with key partners in these regions. — Pia Lee-Brago