Philippines, Qatar move closer to ratifying Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement

Philippines, Qatar move closer to ratifying Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement

The ratification process of the Philippines-Qatar Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) is expected to be finalised this year following talks held in Doha between the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI).DTI Secretary Alfredo E Pascual and HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad bin Qassim al-Thani agreed to finalise the IPPA ratification process during a recently held meeting held on the sidelines of the Qatar Economic Forum 2024.The Philippines completed its domestic ratification procedures in April, the DTI noted in a statement.“The entry into force of the IPPA is expected to significantly deepen the economic ties between the Philippines and Qatar. We are confident that finalising the ratification process will translate into productive investment figures contributing to our mutually shared prosperity,” Pascual emphasised.Similarly, the DTI and MoCI also agreed to pursue a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen co-operation on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection. The DTI noted that the MoU will facilitate the exchange of information and best practices, training programmes, and high-level dialogues on IP policy.The DTI further stated that the Philippine delegation expressed concern about the proliferation of counterfeit Filipino brands in the Middle