Philippine senators, led by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, have concluded a successful three-day parliamentary visit to France where they met with their French counterparts and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties between the Philippines and the European country.

The official Philippine Senate delegation was invited to visit France, from 23 to 26 October as part of inter-parliamentary exchanges and on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Philippine-French diplomatic relations.

The Philippine delegation also included Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor Ejercito, and Senators Manuel Lapid, Maria Lourdes Binay, Grace Poe and Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go.

They received a warm welcome from the French Senate led by Senate President Gérard Larcher.

"We hope that the excellent rapport between our two Senates will intensify and be at the heart of the flourishing relations between our two countries. The Philippines is for France a privileged partner in the Indo-Pacific, with which we have the vocation to develop new cooperation projects," said the official greeting read at the French Senate plenary session last Tuesday.

During the visit, the Philippine contingent also met with Guillaume Kasbarian, a member of the French National Assembly and chair of its Economic Affairs Committee, French Senator Daniel Gremillet, and members of the Atomic Energy Commission.

Discussing potential investment opportunities for both countries, the senators also met with representatives of the French private sector, particularly those from the energy and transportation industries.

Zubiri has indicated that he has a strong interest in studying the defense and energy systems and infrastructures that France possesses, which was one of the primary goals of the visit. The senator has been known for a long time as Mr. Clean Energy, especially after being the driving force behind the passage of the Biofuels Act in 2006 and the Renewable Energy Law in 2008.

The Philippines, which is almost entirely dependent on imported fossil fuel, has recently seen higher inflation rates partly driven by higher production and transportation cost due to a series of oil price hikes.

Meanwhile, Legarda was also able to discuss with their French counterparts environmental and blue economy-related issues. The senator emphasized the importance and timeliness of discussing the issues because they are related to climate change, which remains a leading global concern.

"Our visit to France is a chance for the Philippines to convey our vision, plans, and involvement in addressing global challenges such as climate change. Our country fully recognizes France's steady allegiance to be a global leader in addressing the issue, and we are fully committed to supporting the Paris Agreement," said Legarda in a press statement.

Presently, many areas in the country were inundated caused by severe tropical storm "Paeng," resulting to at least 72 deaths and significant damages to properties and infrastructures, as of Saturday.

During the visit, the Philippine delegation also met with the Nuclear Safety Authority of France. The ASN is an independent administrative authority which participates in regulating nuclear safety, radiation protection and the nuclear activities in France.

The senators attended luncheons hosted by Senator Mathieu Darnaud from the France-South East Asian Friendship Group throughout the three-day visit in Paris.

For his part, Go expressed his optimism that the visit would pave the way for a more profound relationship between the Philippines and France. He also noted that the trip had opened up new opportunities for collaboration between the two nations, particularly in the areas of sustainable energy, climate change, economic growth, and food security.

"It is my hope that our trip was successful in bringing the Philippines and France closer together, and that we were able to successfully identify potential areas in which the Philippines and France could work together, particularly in light of the challenges that our world is currently facing," Go said.

He also expressed his gratitude to the Senate leadership for organizing the successful parliamentary visit.

"It was a pleasure to meet our French counterparts and I appreciate Senate President Zubiri and Senate President Pro Tempore Legarda for arranging the visit and giving us this opportunity to improve ourselves through exchange with them," he said.

Go, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Health, stated that the visit also serves as an opportunity to personally thank members of the French government for its multi-million Covid-19 vaccine donation to the Philippines through the COVAX Facility at the height of the pandemic, noting that the assistance provided a significant boost to the country's national vaccination program.

In March 2019, a delegation from the France-South East Asia Parliamentary Friendship Group of the French Senate also visited the Philippines.