Armenia, Philippines reportedly initiate talks for labor deal

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Philippines and Armenia are discussing the possibility of a bilateral labor agreement, Moscow-based Philippine diplomats said, according to Business World.

In a statement by the Philippine Embassy in Moscow, the Embassy’s Second Secretary and Vice Consul Jeffrey A. Valdez met officials from the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the labor deal on Octover 30 in the Armenian capital Yerevan.

“The Embassy wants to be proactive in extending assistance to Filipinos under its jurisdiction,” said Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta, noting that “a bilateral labor agreement is an important step in that direction.”

Valdez was accompanied by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Catherine F. Alpay and Attaché Vida Cara.

The initiative was proposed by the Philippine side in the hopes of increasing the number of Filipinos living and working in Armenia.

The Embassy noted that the increasing popularity of Armenia as a tourist destination, especially among Filipinos based in the Middle East, contributed to the growing number of Filipinos settling in Armenia.

According to the Philippine Embassy, an estimated 300 Filipinos currently reside in Armenia.