Philippine Non-Resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Tonga, Her Excellency Kira Christianne D. Azucena, called on His Royal Highness Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister Responsible for His Majesty’s Armed Forces, following her presentation of credentials to His Majesty King Tupou VI at the Royal Palace.

During the call, His Royal Highness and Ambassador Azucena reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations and discussed ways to enhance cooperation. They both cited people-to-people links as central to the relationship upon which new areas of collaboration could be explored, including on labor mobility, technical cooperation in the areas of agriculture and maritime issues, and mechanisms to facilitate the exchange of visits. Ambassador Azucena also cited the important role of the growing Filipino community in Tonga, numbering around 130, in Tonga’s economic growth.