UK Trade Envoy returns to the PH to deepen trade relationship
Richard Graham CMG MP, the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the Philippines undertook his 8th official visit to the Philippines last 24-27 April 2023.
Richard Graham CMG MP, the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the Philippines undertook his 8th official visit to the Philippines last 24-27 April 2023.
The visit was an opportunity to renew trade and investment opportunities and build on ongoing collaboration in the areas of offshore wind development, cyber and AI where the UK is keen to explore and do more in the country.
Mr Graham called on Director General Joel Marciano (PhilSA), Secretary Alfredo Pascual (DTI), Secretary Jaime Bautista (DoTR), senior officials from the Department of Agriculture, and contacts in the private sector.
The trade envoy also had the pleasure of hosting a reception for key interlocutors in the Philippines’ offshore wind agenda including the Department of Energy led by Undersecretary Rowena Guevara. At the event, Mr. Graham reaffirmed the UK’s support to the Philippines’ energy transition shift and acceleration of renewables. The UK has been providing strong government and industry support to the Philippine energy sector including the recent successful offshore wind study visit in the UK last February attended by key PH government officials.
Against the backdrop of the recent launch of the UK’s International Tech Strategy in March, Mr Graham engaged with the Philippine delegation joining this year’s London Tech Week – a global celebration of technology, innovative thinkers, and pursuit of technology. Martha Sazon – GCash’s President and CEO is amongst this year’s delegates from the Philippines who will be sharing GCash’s story at the LTW Transformation stage. The International tech strategy aims to strengthen tech partnerships and support development with focus on critical technologies of tomorrow including AI, quantum, semiconductors, telecoms and engineering biology.
Speaking at the end of his visit, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy said:
As always, it is a great pleasure to visit the Philippines even more so with the growing and stronger trade relationship, with bilateral trade up more than 30% in the last year to £2.3bn. I look forward to working with many of those that I have met this week to continue to ensure that the UK-Philippines trade and investment relationship continues to go from strength to strength.
The visit is a strong demonstration of the UK’s commitment to grow trade relationships with Indo-Pacific including the Philippines.