ON April 14 Mexico and the Philippines commemorated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic cooperation with the illumination of emblematic buildings and monuments in their respective capital cities, such as the Jose Rizal Monument and the buildings of the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and the Senate in the former.
These events marked the beginning of commemorative activities throughout the year, such as the “Overview of Mexico-Philippines Relations” conference held on April 17 at the Matías Romero Institute, which is the diplomatic academy of Mexico, and the creation of a special logo for the occasion.
According to the Mexican Embassy, ties that bind the two nations stretch back to the Acapulco-Manila Galleon, when exchange of goods, ideas and people not only had a profound impact on both, but also on the entire world.
The solidarity between these friendly nations was reinforced by Mexico’s participation in the liberation of the Philippines during World War 2 through the Escuadrón 201 of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force.
More than 450 years later both remain active players in trans-Pacific trade, with a strong commitment to cooperation. They are part of the World Trade Organization and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. The Philippines is also a founding member of Asean, while Mexico is among those who established the Pacific Alliance and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
Also, said nations engage in relevant trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership for the Philippines, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership for Mexico.
Today their mutual relationship is characterized by extensive political dialogues and commonalities at bilateral and multilateral levels, which have led to fruitful collaboration on issues of common interest such as climate change, universal access to vaccines and medicines, nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, among others.
This way, the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the Philippines highlights their shared history, while setting the tone for further deepening their political dialogue and cooperation for the benefit of both societies, said the embassy.
Image credits: Embassy of Mexico
