Philippines, Palestine seek stronger cooperation

The Philippines and Palestine on Tuesday sought closer cooperation as Manila reiterated its long-held position for a two-state solution to resolving the Palestinian and Israeli conflict, saying "it is the only viable path" towards peace and stability in the Middle East.

Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro and visiting Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Shahin announced plans to bolster cooperation on several areas, with Manila offering to provide capacity-building training to the Palestine government.  

"The future of Philippine-Palestine relations is bright and promising," said Lazaro in their joint press conference in Manila. "I look forward to a stronger and more dynamic cooperation between our two countries under the shared vision of peace, stability, and prosperity."

Both officials said they agreed to promote "common interests" and take steps to finalize agreements on key sectors, such as education and consular matters.

Lazaro said she and Shahin agreed to expedite the conclusion of a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passports for the two countries.

This agreement, she said, will pave the way for greater interaction and closer cooperation between Philippine and Palestine officials, as well as policy makers.

She also conveyed to Shahin the readiness of the Philippines to provide technical and capacity-building assistance to Palestine, "which may be relevant to the development agenda of Palestine."

Support for Palestine

Shahin, the first high-ranking Palestinian official to visit the Philippines in nearly four decades, thanked the Philippines for its support for Palestine, particularly on its message of concern for the plight of the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, and their struggle for liberation.

"We've had great discussions, and I've heard lots of words of support, and we have been received with a lot of warmth, so thank you very much for that," she said.

"If we look at the (United Nations) voting record of the Philippines, that's extremely positive in terms of Palestine. It stands on the two-state solution."

The United Nations Security Council on Monday approved a United States-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Hamas enclave of Gaza and authorizing an international stabilization force in the strip.

Palestine's rights

Welcoming the resolution, Lazaro said, "the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state and respect for its inalienable right to self-determination is imperative to the achievement of a long-lasting and gentle peace in the region."

The armed conflict in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages.

Israel's offensives in Gaza since October 2023 has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, including women and children, and has set off a starvation crisis. A ceasefire has been in place since October 10.

"I think the resolution, passed last night with the Security Council, is probably one of the best that has come out from the United Nations," she said. "I think this will pave the way towards peace and stability. That's what the Palestinian people have been asking for and the Philippines as part of the international community will, in its own efforts, assist the Palestinian people in the state of Palestine." 

Road towards peace

Shahin said she considers the UN resolution as "the first step in a long road towards peace."

However, she said there was a need to ensure that efforts to rebuild Gaza "is governed by international law, not divorced from the New York Declaration" that calls for a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the conflict, and "truly embodies the issue of self-determination."

Shahin said the priority at the moment is to sustain the ceasefire in Gaza and to ensure unimpeded relief and humanitarian assistance for the devastated population of 2 million in the strip.

"We hope that that ceasefire becomes sustainable and it takes us to a path that will lead to a much broader peace for Palestinians, inclusive of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as one integral part, being the occupied state of Palestine today," she said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News