UGNAYANG PH-KOREA TATATAG

SEOUL – Inaasahang mas titibay ang bilateral relations sa pagitan ng Filipinas at ng Republic of Korea (ROK) kasunod ng opisyal na pagsisimula nina Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez at Minister for Trade, Industry, and Energy Yoo Myung-hee sa negosas­yon ng PH-ROK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) kahapon.

Sa launching ay kapwa kinilala ng dalawang bansa ang potensiyal na patatagin ang economic relations sa pamamagitan ng pagpapalakas sa trade and investment flow sa pagitan nila, pag-aalis sa mga sagabal sa mas malapit na kalakalan at paglikha ng busi-ness at investment opportunities.

“Today’s event was borne on the back of a number of meetings between our Leaders and officials that had served to convey our mutual interest for an FTA. For the Philippines, the FTA means we can achieve improved market access for our agriculture products such as banana, pineapple, and mangoes, as well as industrial products and other services. We are working on better reci-procity of tariff rates and market access of our agricultural and industrial products to improve the balance of trade with South Ko-rea,” wika ni Sec. Lopez.

“These include movement of natural persons and more investment opportunities that could lead to job generation. These also in-clude greater collaboration in innovation, as well as R&D that will support the implementation of our inclusive innovation and in-dustrial strategy,” dagdag pa ng trade chief.

Minister Yoo conveyed that “The FTA is a significant step forward to a stronger economic partnership between the two coun-tries,” sabi naman ni Minister Yoo. Binanggit din ng Minister na ang Filipinas ay isang napakahalagang trade and investment part-ner para sa ROK.

Nangako ang dalawang ministers na tatapusin ang negosasyon ng ‘comprehensive at future-oriented FTA’ sa ­Nobyembre 2019.

Ang FTA ay lilikha ng ‘favorable conditions’ para sa exporters, investors, industries, work force,  gayundin sa micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) ng dalawang bansa.