The Philippines and the European Union (EU) will sign this week their first bilateral agreement to enhance political, security, development and economic cooperation between the stakeholders.
 
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton will sign the landmark accord, called Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA), at the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) security forum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Thursday, an EU statement in Manila said.
 
The EU and the Philippines–along with nine other ASEAN member states and its dialogue partners like the United States, Japan, Australia, China and South Korea–are meeting in the Cambodian capital for the annual ASEAN regional forum, Asia’s largest security dialogue.
 
The PCA provides the legal basis for the two sides to cooperate on issues such as the Mindanao peace process, human rights, anti-corruption, migration, and trade and investment.
 
The agreement is also expected to give way for negotiations of a free trade agreement or FTA between the two parties. — Michaela del Callar/MJC/VS,GMA News