TOP ENVOYS from the Philippines and Mongolia on Monday agreed for their countries to explore partnerships in agriculture, tourism and education.
In a speech in Mongolia after meeting with Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo cited the need to boost trade between the two nations, especially after Mongolia reached upper middle-income economy status this year.
“The minister and I discussed ways to promote trade between our two economies, including the establishment of ties between our business communities, and the potential for further cooperation on areas ranging from tourism to agriculture to education, particularly English language training,” he said, based on a transcript of his speech sent to reporters via WhatsApp.
The Philippine government aims to reach upper middle-income status by 2025. An upper middle-income country has a gross national income (GNI) per capita of $4,466 to $13,845.
The World Bank classifies the Philippines as a lower middle-income country with a GNI per capita of $3,950. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
