WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND – Senior officials from the Philippines and New Zealand convened the inaugural meeting of the Philippines-New Zealand Joint Economic Commission (JEC) in Wellington, marking a significant milestone in their bilateral economic relations.

The Philippine delegation was led by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary for International Trade Hon. Allan B. Gepty, while the New Zealand side was led by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Deputy Secretary for Americas and Asia Group Mr. Grahame Morton.

Discussions focused on expanding bilateral trade and investment and strengthening cooperation in priority areas, including agriculture, renewable energy, climate change, education, inclusive trade, and defence. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to increasing two-way trade between the Philippines and New Zealand by 50% by 2030.

The PH delegation was welcomed by their New Zealand counterparts with a mihi whakatau, a less formal type of Maori welcome gathering everyone together.

A PH-NZ roundtable on economic security was also convened, with the support of Victoria University of Wellington’s Centre for Strategic Studies. The roundtable brought together scholars and analysts from New Zealand to exchange views on economic security from Philippine, New Zealand, and broader Asia-Pacific perspectives. - END