I-European Union kanye nePhilippines bamemezele izinhlelo zokuthi baqale kabusha izingxoxo zesivumelwano sohwebo lwamahhala, ngokusho kwesitatimende sabezindaba esivela kuKhomishana yaseYurophu ngoJulayi 31, 2023. Abalingani basePacific.
Ngokwesitatimende esihlanganyelwe, i-EU kanye ne-Philippines bazoqala "inqubo ye-scoping" yamazwe amabili ukuze bahlole ukuthi banombono ofanayo we-FTA ephelele. Uma kuphumelele, nangemuva kokubonisana namazwe angamalungu e-EU, izingxoxo ezisemthethweni zingaqala kabusha ngemuva kokumiswa kusukela ngo-2017.
"I-Philippines inguzakwethu obalulekile kithi esifundeni sase-Indo-Pacific, futhi ngokwethulwa kwalolu hlelo lokusebenza sivula indlela yokuyisa ubudlelwano bethu kwelinye izinga," kusho uMongameli weKhomishini YaseYurophu. Ursula von der Leyen.
Ochwepheshe bathi lesi sinyathelo sihambisana ne-EU's 2021 Indo-Pacific Strategy kanye nokugxila okukhulayo ekujuleni kobudlelwano bezohwebo eNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia, isizinda sezomnotho esikhula ngokushesha. Kulandela ukuqaliswa kabusha kwakamuva kwezingxoxo ze-FTA phakathi kwe-EU neThailand kulo nyaka.
Ngokusho kwedatha yango-2021, ukuhwebelana kwezimpahla kwe-EU-Philippines kwafinyelela ku-€ 18.4 billion, kuyilapho ukuhwebelana ngezinsizakalo kufinyelela ku-€ 4.7 billion. I-EU ikleliswe njengozakwethu wezohwebo wesine ngobukhulu e-Philippines, kanti i-Philippines ibinguzakwethu wezohwebo wesi-4 we-EU esifundeni se-ASEAN.
I-FTA ehlongozwayo ingase ihlanganise izithiyo zohwebo ezincishisiwe, izinqubo ezilungisiwe zentela engenayo, ukuvikelwa kwempahla yengqondo, izinyathelo zentuthuko esimeme, kanye nokuzibophezela kwesimo sezulu.
Njengoba kunenqwaba yemithombo yamaminerali abalulekile, kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali kumandla avuselelekayo, abahlaziyi bathi iPhilippines ihlinzeka ngamathuba ezinkampani ze-EU kanye nezinhlelo zokusimama njengengxenye yenguquko eluhlaza.
Nakuba izithiyo zisekhona, ukuqalisa kabusha izingxoxo ze-FTA ze-EU-Philippines kubonisa isifiso esifanayo sokuhlanganisa umnotho oseduze kanye nokuhleleka kwamasu phakathi kozakwethu besikhathi eside.
