PRESS RELEASE

NYPM D-10-2012

29 SEPTEMBER 2012

PHL; SOUTH AFRICA SIGN AGREEMENT TO BOOST COOPERATION

UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NY 28 September 2012 The Philippines’Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and the Republic of South Africa’s Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane exchange copies of the Bilateral Consultative Forum Agreement (BCF) which both signed at the sidelines of the 67 th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The agreement is seen to bolster cooperative ties and raise to a higher level the collaboration between the Philippines and South Africa. The BCF will serve as the framework mechanism under which government officials from the foreign ministries of both countries can meet and discuss prospective avenues of cooperation. In a statement following the signing ceremony, Secretary del Rosario emphasized the importance of strengthening ties with South Africa and other partners in the region. South Africa is the Philippines’ largest trading partner in the African region with an estimated US$218 million in total trade.END

Reference:

Robert E.A. Borje
Second Secretary
Security Council, Fourth Committee, Press and Media Affairs

Philippine Mission to the United Nations
556 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036
Telephone No. 212.764.1300 ext. 21