June 30, 2010 - The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today congratulated Benigno Aquino III on his inauguration as president of the Philippines.

“I offer my warmest congratulations to President Aquino,” said Minister Cannon. “Canada supports democratic development in the Philippines. We are looking forward to working closely with the new Philippine government and to enhancing the already strong and friendly ties between our two countries.

“Canadians are proud of the shared experiences and close connections we have with Filipinos. People-to-people links between the two countries continue to increase, with over 400,000 people of Philippine origin in Canada contributing significantly to our nation.”

In 2009 Canada and the Philippines marked their 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Strong trade and investment ties, as well as close cooperation in areas such as democratic development, governance, human rights and the rule of law, characterize relations between the two countries.

Canada also cooperates with the Philippines in multilateral forums, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Regional Forum, as well as in the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the World Trade Organization.

The Honourable Jim Abbott, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, attended the inauguration on behalf of the Government of Canada.

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