The 11th Philippines-Israel Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was convened virtually by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Israel on 1 March 2021.
Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Nathaniel Imperial received Indonesian Chargé d’Affaires Widya Rahmanto and Brunei Darussalam Ambassador Johariah binti Haji Wahab in a back-to-back courtesy call on 15 March 2021 at the Department of Foreign Affairs, to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations especially in the areas of trade and investment, as well as defense and logistics cooperation as the wider ASEAN region.
Amidst the ongoing worldwide crisis due to the pandemic, the Philippines will be having a year-long of commemorative activities in celebration of its 75 years of Diplomatic Relations with Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxemburg, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Syria, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelands and the United States of America.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. met with the US-Philippines Society Board of Directors in a virtual meeting on 22 March 2021 to discuss the Philippines-United States bilateral relations in light of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries’ diplomatic ties, and the 70th anniversary of the Philippines-United States alliance.
On separate occasions in mid-February to early March, Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia Maria Amelita C. Aquino paid courtesy calls on Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Hang Chuon Naron, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Tea Banh to discuss further enhancement of Philippines-Cambodia relations in the fields of commerce, culture, education, and defense.
Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Millicent Cruz-Paredes made an introductory call on Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House on 11 March 2021.
Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Sulpicio M. Confiado visited the Governorates of Damietta and Ismailia from 22 to 24 February 2021, to establish the Philippines’ footprint in these governorates and identify areas for collaboration with its officials and its private sector
Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Meynardo LB. Montealegre paid a courtesy call on Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on 17 March 2021 to discuss the enhancement of the Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and Vietnam.
Philippines and Turkmenistan, represented by Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Middle East and African Affairs Leslie J. Baja and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director of the Asia-Pacific Department Bayram Klychmammedov, convened online consultations on 17 March 2021, first in the almost 24 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries established on 23 July 1997.
The Philippine Embassy in Cairo, in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, and the Cairo Opera House celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the Arab Republic of Egypt, through “Awit at Sayaw: An Evening of Music and Dance” at the El-Gomhoureya in Downtown Cairo on 26 March 2021.
The Philippines established diplomatic relations with Pakistan on September 8, 1949 through the opening of a Philippine Consulate in Pakistan.
This was followed by the opening of the Philippine Embassy in Karachi in 1956. In May 1957, Pakistan’s then Prime Minister Husseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy made an official visit to the Philippines.
The meeting was held to discuss the Philippine-US bilateral relations in light of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the two nations’ diplomatic relations and the 70th anniversary of the Philippine-US alliance.