Philippines' new ambassador: Azerbaijan's Asia-oriented policy is commendable

Azerbaijan's Asia-oriented policy is commendable, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Philippines to Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, Jaime Ramon T. Ascalon, Jr., told Report.

Speaking about Azerbaijan-Philippines cooperation, the ambassador noted that he closely follows Baku's Asia policy, stressing that diversification of foreign partnerships is now a key priority.

"One of the main reasons for this is economic necessities and the search for new markets."

Highlighting that Azerbaijan has various industrial sectors, the ambassador said that diversification of supply chains by countries is an important factor:

"As far as I know, currently large investments are being made in the nearby region, in the energy sector in Türkiye. However, although the focus is more on nearby neighbors, the main lesson that recent crises have taught us is that supply chains need to be diversified. In this regard, Azerbaijan's Asia policy is also balanced."

Noting that some technologies and expertise that Azerbaijan possesses in the energy sector would also be beneficial for the Philippines, the ambassador stated that the main issue in this direction is establishing connections:

"We aim to learn what Azerbaijan has to offer and to identify areas of mutually beneficial cooperation with the Philippines. The energy sector is one of Azerbaijan's strongest areas," the diplomat emphasized.

In addition, the diplomat noted that trade relations between the two countries are currently very limited: "Currently, trade relations are very limited. Despite the challenges created by distance, we need to explore opportunities for increasing trade."