SENATE President Sherwin Gatchalian and Sen. Robin Padilla met with their Pakistani counterparts to discuss the growing threat to young people of unregulated use of social media and parliamentary cooperation.
The Pakistani delegation, led by Senators Mohammad Abdul Qadir and Syed Waqar Mehdi, was in Manila for the first Intergovernmental Fiscal Institutions meeting organized by the Forum of Federations, a global network focused on federalism and devolved governance.
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, tourism and other people-to-people exchanges, as well as inter-parliamentary relations.
Gatchalian thanked Pakistan for its role as a mediator between the United States and Iran, noting that the continuing conflict could have serious repercussions on global oil prices and energy supplies.
The Philippines is particularly vulnerable to disruptions in the Middle East because it sources almost all of its oil from the region.
Qadir congratulated the Philippines on assuming the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year and said Pakistan, as an Asean Dialogue Partner, looked forward to participating in major regional meetings.
He renewed Pakistan's invitation for a Philippine Senate delegation to visit the country in February or March next year, which he said would be an ideal period for a visit.
Gatchalian said he would ask Padilla to lead the Philippine delegation in his capacity as president of the newly established Philippines-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Association in the Senate.
Also present in the meeting at the Senate was Pakistan Ambassador Asima Rabbani.