MANILA – Philippine Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters formally elevated Philippines-New Zealand relations to a Comprehensive Partnership during their bilateral meeting on 21 July 2026. Marking a milestone in the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Comprehensive Partnership reflects the growing depth and breadth of bilateral cooperation and establishes a framework for enhanced collaboration in political engagement, defence and security, trade and economic relations, and people-to-people exchanges.

During their meeting, Secretary Lazaro and Minister Peters reaffirmed their shared commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, strengthened cooperation based on international law, and expanded collaboration in areas including maritime security, trade, education, agriculture, labour mobility, and sustainable development.

The elevation of Philippines-New Zealand relations to a Comprehensive Partnership builds on the momentum generated by the meeting between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on 18 April 2024, during which both leaders agreed to pursue a more ambitious and forward-looking bilateral agenda. To realize this shared vision, the two leaders directed the development of the Philippines-New Zealand Roadmap to a Comprehensive Partnership, which established a framework for deepening cooperation across four pillars: political engagement; defence, security and maritime cooperation; trade and economic engagement; and people-to-people cooperation.

Since then, the Philippines and New Zealand have achieved significant milestones under the Roadmap, including the signing of the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), the inaugural Philippines-New Zealand Maritime Dialogue, the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) meeting, and the Vice-Ministerial Foreign Ministry Consultations (FMC). These mechanisms have expanded cooperation across a broad range of areas and laid a strong foundation for the formal elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Partnership. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade will continue to jointly monitor and periodically review the Roadmap's implementation to ensure sustained progress under the new partnership.

Secretary Lazaro and Minister Peters also committed to developing a Plan of Action to guide the implementation of the Comprehensive Partnership and advance concrete initiatives for the mutual benefit of both countries. - END