Thank you, Minister,

1. Taking the floor for the first time, the Philippines joins others in thanking the Indian Government for organizing this important and timely meeting and for excellent arrangements. We would also like to thank DG Pascal Lamy, the Negotiating Group Chairs, Country Group Coordinators, and others who spoke before us for sharing their views and thoughts on what we must all do to re-energize and move forward the DDA negotiations. The Philippines expresses its full support for the process that we now should collectively embark on. We support as early a timeline for senior officials’ meetings as others have supported.

2. We are encouraged by the clear signals from our leaders on an ambitious and balanced conclusion to the DDA in 2010, by building on the progress already made, and by accelerating efforts to advance into the endgame negotiations. Key Members must now show leadership and pragmatism, to empower all Members to succeed in fostering and achieving the development mandate of the Doha round and this pragmatism involves a certain evolving of a mutual vision and common understanding of each Member’s limitations, both in terms of development and political policy space.

3. Like other Members, the Philippines looks forward to addressing the remaining key issues and to engaging our trading partners in a constructive manner. In this context, the Philippines places maximum value on transparency in the negotiations and a bottom-up approach in consensus building. We recognize as all have done in this meeting the primacy of the multilateral processes, and that bilateral or plurilateral consultations must serve only to complement and lead to consensus building within the entire Membership.

4. On the other areas apart from Agriculture and NAMA, we support the EC’s position that we not change the Hong Kong Mandate, but make as much parallel progress as we can make in Services and other areas.

5. Let me conclude by saying that the Philippines is ready to cooperate and work hard in this next phase. We look forward to a balanced outcome, with the hope that our own and all other members’ development aspirations will be addressed, as we aim for the successful conclusion of the DDA.

Thank you.