Bangladesh and the Philippines convened the 3rd round of Foreign Policy Consultations (FPC) yesterday in Manila, marking the first session after a six-year gap. The meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Secretary (East & West), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, and Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega, Undersecretary for Policy of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines. Leo M. Herrera-Lim, Undersecretary for Migration Affairs, also joined the session.
The Bangladesh delegation included  Mohammad Sarwar Mahmood, ndc, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Philippines, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Bangladesh in Manila along with representative from the Bangladesh Bank. The Philippine delegation comprised senior officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Justice, Department of Agriculture, Department of Migrant Workers, Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Board of Investment, Anti-Money Laundering Council, and the Civil Aeronautics Board, joined by  Nina P. Cainglet, Ambassador of the Philippines to Bangladesh.
Discussions were held in a warm, constructive, and forward-looking atmosphere. Both sides reviewed the progress since the 2nd FPC and explored opportunities for deeper cooperation in political relations, trade and investment, cyber-security, blue economy, education, skills development, culture, cooperation between the defence staff collages through training exchanges and knowledge-sharing, people-to-people connectivity, labor, and migration governance. Bangladesh underscored prospects for greater Filipino investment in emerging sectors and reiterated its aspiration to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN.
Both sides also discussed matters of mutual interest in regional and multilateral affairs, including the situation of the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs).
The meeting concluded with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Maritime Cooperation on the Recognition of Certificates under the STCW Convention, 1978 (as amended).  Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Secretary (East & West), Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed on behalf of Bangladesh, while Hon. Sonia B. Malaluan, Administrator, Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), signed on behalf of the Philippines.
Following the FPC,  Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam paid courtesy calls on  Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and  Hans Leo J. Cacdac, Secretary for Migrant Workers, where both sides focused on reinforcing south-south cooperation for mutual benefit. He is also scheduled to visit a TESDA-operated caregiver training institute to explore future cooperation in skills development, training, and mutual recognition of certificates.
Both sides expressed confidence that the outcomes of this Consultation will facilitate the bilateral relations in the days ahead.