Philippine and Singapore expand cooperation in prioritised areas
PM Lawrence Wong (right) and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr (left) reviewing an honour guard at Malacanang Palace in Manila on June 4. -- Photo: Vietnam News/Asia News Network
MANILA/SINGAPORE (Vietnam News/ANN): Singapore and the Philippines are set to deepen their collaboration in several areas, including renewable energy, sustainability, healthcare and civil service development.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr announced this at a joint press conference on June 4, the first day of an introductory visit to Manila by PM Wong, reported by The Straits Times.
On renewable energy, the two countries agreed to deepen both bilateral and regional cooperation, and to accelerate efforts towards realising the Asean power grid, a plan to connect the electricity networks of the group's 10 member countries to enable cross-border power trading by 2045.
Marcos said Singapore will continue to be a major partner in the Philippines' aspiration to diversify its energy sources, while Wong said Singapore companies are interested in renewable energy in the Philippines, including solar and wind projects.
The two countries are also working to finalise a legally binding implementation agreement for cross-border carbon credit transfers that is aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
An implementation agreement will facilitate commercial participation in carbon credit projects, which can spur technology transfer and green investment and create good jobs, said Wong.
The two leaders also said their respective health ministries are exploring ways to deepen health cooperation, such as in upskilling and the reintegration of returning Filipinos into the Philippine healthcare system.
Last year, the Philippines was Singapore's fifth-largest trading partner in Asean, with bilateral trade reaching 19.1 billion SGD (US$14.8 billion). - Vietnam News/ANN
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