FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro reaffirmed the Philippines’ support for the State of Palestine and expressed readiness to offer technical assistance.
In a press briefing with Palestine Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin on Tuesday, Nov. 18, Lazaro said the Philippines is prepared to offer aid in terms of technical support and capacity-building.
“I also conveyed to the Foreign Minister the readiness of the Philippines to provide technical and capacity-building assistance to Palestine,” Lazaro said.
“As a partner, path-finder, and consensus builder, I reaffirmed our unwavering support to the two-state solution. The Philippines are regarded as a viable path towards peace and stability in the Middle East,” she added.
Lazaro also noted that it would not be surprising if the ASEAN issues a statement calling for peace and stability in Gaza under the Philippines’ 2026 chairmanship.
“The issue of Palestine’s two-state solution and other aspects of the State of Palestine is very important to many of our ASEAN member states… So it’s always and has always been a statement of support coming from ASEAN,” she added.
The foreign ministers also announced that they have formally signed a memorandum of understanding on political consultations to strengthen mutual cooperation in various sectors.
For her part, Shahin noted that the Philippines’ support is ‘extremely positive,’ highlighting its stance on the two-state solution and the call to stop aggression in the Gaza Strip.
“We continue to believe that the Philippines will continue its ongoing support to the plight of the Palestinian people and their struggle for liberation,” Shanin said.
She added that the Filipino community has generally shown strong support for Palestine, highlighting protests by groups in the Philippines condemning Israel’s violence in Gaza.
However, Lazaro belied reports claiming that flights carrying Palestinians from South Africa were en route to the Philippines.
She clarified that decisions on accepting refugees are not an exclusive power of the Department of Foreign Affairs but also involved security agencies, particularly the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Justice.
To recall, despite a United States-brokered ceasefire, the reports asserted that the overall death toll has risen above 69,000.
On Tuesday, Nov. 17, the United Nations Security Council approved a United States resolution to mandate a transitional administration and an International Stabilization Force in Gaza.
The Philippines and Palestine established its diplomatic relations in 1989.
