Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, right, stands as North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chin gestures during their bilateral meeting at the 14th Asean Regional Forum in Manila, Philippines, on Sunday, July 29, 2007. With North Korea easing out of the spotlight, foreign ministers at Asia's top security forum will be able to focus better on a heavy agenda that ranges from fighting terrorism to dealing with disasters. This is Pak's first trip out of his country as foreign affairs minister. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Philippines, North Korea agree to boost bilateral relations
Jul 29, 2007, 5:43 GMT
Manila - The Philippines and North Korea signed greements aimed at boosting the seven-year-old diplomatic relations between the two countries Sunday.
The agreements were signed by Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo and North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun on the sidelines of an Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Manila.
The first agreement called for the establishment of a consultation mechanism between their two offices.
'Hopefully this will institutionalize regular consultations between our two foreign ministries to ensure mutual understanding and cooperation between our two countries,' Romulo said.
The two foreign ministers also signed a cultural cooperation agreement to further enhance ties between the two countries.
The Philippines established diplomatic ties with North Korea in 2000. At the time, the Philippines was the only Asian nation without formal ties with Pyongyang.
Pak arrived in Manila late Saturday to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum later in the week, where North Korea's nuclear disarmament was expected to be discussed.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
No comments:
Post a Comment