Israel, Philippines sign environmental protection MOU

Israel and the Philippines signed an agreement on Monday to collaborate on environmental protection, the Foreign Ministry confirmed.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on World Environment Day, during Cohen’s historic visit to Manila. He left for the country on Sunday for the first visit by an Israeli foreign minister in 56 years.

Cohen is leading two business delegations organized by the economic division of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Israel Export Institute and the Israeli embassies in Manila and Seoul, where he is also visiting. The business delegation in Manila was focused on agriculture, water, energy and cleantech, as well as security and cyber, emergency preparedness and health.

The MOU calls for Israel and the Philippines to share best practices around environmental protection, specifically focusing on preserving ecosystems, disaster risk management, and promoting and disseminating environmental technologies.

“We believe that close cooperation in the field of environmental protection can provide an important contribution to the friendly relations between our two states and to help in addressing issues of sustainability, climate change and help protect our planet,” Cohen said in an interview with the local Philippine News Agency on Monday.

“I am sure that this visit will improve our already existing partnerships in agriculture, water, innovation and technology, and economic cooperation,” he told the news outlet.

In April, Cohen signed a similar agreement during a visit to Azerbaijan.