Philippine Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau Paul Raymund P. Cortes met with His Excellency Carlos Pinto Pereira, Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Communities, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bissau.
Ambassador Cortes underscored the Philippines’ interest in deepening its ties with Guinea-Bissau, particularly on key areas such as agriculture, food security, tourism, and expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation. He shared that the Philippines is willing to share its expertise in rice production and marketing.
Minister Pinto, for his part, emphasized Guinea-Bissau’s objective of being an attractive destination for international investment and conveyed that Philippine investors may explore investment opportunities in the country. He also shared Guinea-Bissau’s desire to establish stronger diplomatic representation in the Philippines and expressed interest in working with Ambassador Cortes to identify a suitable candidate for the position of Honorary Consul in Manila. In response, Ambassador Cortes echoed the sentiment and noted that the Philippines is also actively seeking an Honorary Consul in Bissau.
A key topic discussed was the potential for tourism development in Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagós Islands. Ambassador Cortes took a keen interest in Bijagós’ natural beauty and resources, and Minister Pinto welcomed the idea of Philippine expertise in tourism. He suggested that the Philippines could contribute by sharing best practices in hospitality and tourism training for young people from the Bijagós Islands, potentially opening avenues for tourism-related investments from the Philippines.
Minister Pinto also extended an invitation to Philippine ministerial officials to visit Guinea Bissau, signaling the government’s eagerness to elevate the bilateral relationship through high-level exchanges.
Ambassador Cortes expressed his appreciation for the Minister’s warm reception and constructive discussions, noting that both countries stand to benefit greatly from expanded cooperation in agriculture, tourism, and other sectors. The Ambassador reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to fostering strong ties with Guinea-Bissau and advancing shared goals of economic and sustainable development.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.
