MANILA - The Philippines and Papua New Guinea (PNG) are in discussions to foster cooperation in the sectors of critical minerals and fisheries, as announced by Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. Following a bilateral meeting with PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko, Manalo expressed the Philippines' interest in establishing new forms of partnership with the Pacific nation, focusing on agriculture, fisheries, and the mining of critical minerals such as copper and gold. Both countries, rich in gold, copper, and nickel deposits, are crucial for the production of clean energy technologies.
According to Philippines News Agency, discussions on cooperation in these sectors are still at an exploratory stage. Manalo also highlighted efforts to renew and enhance an existing memorandum of understanding on fisheries between Manila and Port Moresby, aiming to develop a broad relationship centered on food security and resilience. Additionally, the ministers discussed enhancing defense and security cooperation and shared commitments to international law, especially concerning maritime disputes in the South China Sea.