MANILA, July 26 -- Kyrgyzstan President Askar Akayev ended Wednesday a four-day state visit to the Philippines aimed at boosting cooperation between the two countries in areas such as tourism, trade, science and technology. During the visit, Akayev met with President Fidel Ramos and discussed ways to promote trade and investment between the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan.
'The Philippine government considers this a landmark in our bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries,' Ramos told journalists Wednesday. 'We found many common grounds for mutual understanding and cooperation starting with our common political commitment to a democratic and people-empowered system.' The two leaders agreed to boost trade and business ties, cooperation in education, and science and technology. Akayev said tourism was another viable area for joint ventures between the Philippines and his Central Asian republic. Akayev has led Kyrgyzstan since it became an independent republic in August 1991 as the Soviet Union began to collapse. The Philippines established diplomatic ties with Kyrgyzstan in January 1992.
