Bilyonaryo - 28 January 2025
EU wants to speed up free trade deal with PH
The European Union (EU) wants to fast-track negotiations for a free trade agreement with the Philippines as several foreign investors want to put their money in the country, Trade Secretary Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque said.
The head of the Department of Trade and Industry got a reaffirmation of EU’s interest during her meeting with EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis during the World Economic Forum events in Davos, Switzerland.
“He wants us to expedite the free trade agreement,” Roque told the Bilyonaryo News Channel in an interview. “If there were some other areas na we cannot agree on, then they (EU) can continue those (which are) already okay.”
Negotiations for a Philippines-EU FTA resumed in March 2024, with succeeding discussions scheduled in the next few months.
“A lot of them (European investors) really want to invest in the Philippines. The Philippines is really one of the top choices,” Roque added.
