Foreign relations of the Philippines

The foreign relations of the Philippines are administered by the President of the Philippines and the Department of Foreign Affairs. Philippine international affairs are influenced by ties to its Southeast Asian neighbors, China, the United States, and the Middle East.

The Philippines is a founding member of the United Nations; an elected member of the Security Council and participant in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Labour Organization (ILO), UNESCO, and the World Health Organization (WHO). Like most nations, the Philippines is a signatory of Interpol. The Philippines is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, East Asia Summit and Association of Caribbean States (as an observer). It was formerly a member of the now-defunct Latin Union and the SEATO. Declaring itself as independent of any major power block of nations, the Philippines is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Economically, the Philippines is a participant in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Asian Development Bank, the Colombo Plan, Group of 24, G-20, G-77, the World Bank, Next Eleven and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Trust rating of Three countries, July 2020
Country	Much trust	Undecided	Little trust	M-L
United States	60	19	18	+42
Australia	49	25	22	+27
China	22	18	58	-36

Foreign policy

Philippine foreign policy is based on the advancement of Filipino ideals and values, which include the advancement of democracy and advocacy for human rights worldwide.

The Philippines actively engages with regional neighbors in Southeast Asia through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (as a founding member) with the intention of strengthening regional harmony, stability, and prosperity. It has been a supporter of East Timor since the latter's independence and has expanded trade links with its traditional allies Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Relations with Vietnam and Cambodia have thawed in the 1990s after their entry into the ASEAN.

The Republic of the Philippines considers itself a staunch ally of the United States and has supported many points of American foreign policy. This is evident in the Philippines' participation in the Iraq War and the war on terror. Speaking to this support, U.S. President George W. Bush praised the Philippines as a bastion of democracy in the East and called the Philippines America's oldest ally in Asia. President Bush's speech on October 18, 2003, was only the second U.S. presidential address to the Philippine Congress; U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered the first.

With a robust relationship to the United States, the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sought to establish closer ties to its earlier colonizer, Spain. This was inspired by the attendance of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía at the June 12, 1998 celebration honoring the centennial of the Philippines' independence from Spain. President Macapagal-Arroyo made two official visits to Spain during her presidency.

In recent years, the Philippines attaches great importance in its relations with China, and has established significant cooperation with the country.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has participated in various regional conflicts, including the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Recently, the Philippines sent peacekeeping forces to Iraq, in addition to civilian doctors, nurses and police. The Filipino mission was later recalled as collateral for the release of a Filipino hostage. As part of a UN peacekeeping operation, Philippine Army General Jaime de los Santos became the first commander of troops responsible for maintaining order in East Timor.

The Philippines is in tension with rival international claimants to various land and water territories in the South China Sea. The Philippines is currently in dispute with the People's Republic of China over the Camago and Malampaya gas fields. The two countries are also in dispute over the Scarborough Shoal. Additionally, the Philippines has a disputed claim over the Spratly Islands.

The Philippines maintains strategic partnerships with Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

Recruitment of Foreign Service Officers

The Department of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Civil Service Commission conducts an annual recruitment of would-be career diplomats called Foreign Service Officer Examination (FSOE). With application deadlines typically falling on October or November, it is a sequential series of written (initial - typically held late January of early February, second - essay types on various topics related to Philosophy, Politics, Economics, history, diplomacy, foreign policy typically on middle of a calendar year), psychological and oral (debates, impromptu speeches) examinations typically done over a period of several months to over a year. An initial interview around April, months after the initial written examination seems to have been removed from the proces as of the 2025 cycle. Some quarters say that it is one if not the most difficult eligibility examination in the country, even harder than the Bar Exam that there would be years where no one among the initial applicants passed all the way through the conclusion of an annual cycle. The initial criteria for eligibility isn't that stringent - an applicant only has to have a/any Bachelor's degree and had worked/be formally employed for at least two years. Successful applicants enter the government service as "Foreign Service Officer Class IV" with a starting base pay of approximately PHP 85,000 as of 2025 .

For the 2024-2025 cycle, the Department held a 2nd cycle of recruitment with an earlier than normal deadline of September 18 2025 - for those who already passed the written exam (even from years prior - as the eligibility is forever*) and perhaps failed &/or did not push through with the succeeding parts.

*Except if revoked for the putative reasons of "moral turpitude", fraud on the application, or for cause when already entered the service.

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which the Philippines maintains diplomatic relations with:


#	Country	Date
1	Egypt	3 March 1946
2	Australia	4 July 1946
3	Belgium	4 July 1946
4	Brazil	4 July 1946
5	Cuba	4 July 1946
6	El Salvador	4 July 1946
7	Portugal	4 July 1946
8	United Kingdom	4 July 1946
9	United States	4 July 1946
10	Colombia	5 July 1946
11	Costa Rica	5 July 1946
12	Honduras	5 July 1946
13	Haiti	6 July 1946
14	Luxembourg	26 August 1946
15	Syria	4 September 1946
16	Denmark	28 September 1946
17	Austria	17 October 1946
18	Lebanon	24 October 1946
19	Italy	3 November 1946
20	Sweden	17 January 1947
21	France	26 June 1947
22	Spain	27 September 1947
23	Norway	2 March 1948
24	South Korea	3 March 1949
25	Argentina	27 August 1948
26	Turkey	13 June 1949
27	Thailand	14 June 1949
28	Pakistan	8 September 1949
29	India	16 November 1949
30	Indonesia	24 November 1949
31	Canada	4 December 1949
32	Greece	28 August 1950
—	Holy See	8 April 1951
33	Netherlands	17 May 1951
34	Mexico	14 April 1953
35	Dominican Republic	9 May 1953
36	Germany	8 October 1954
37	Laos	14 January 1955
38	Finland	14 July 1955
39	Japan	23 July 1956
40	Myanmar	30 July 1956
41	Ghana	6 March 1957
42	Israel	9 August 1957
43	Cambodia	30 August 1957
44	Switzerland	30 August 1957
45	Nepal	12 February 1960
46	Chad	22 September 1960
47	Sri Lanka	11 January 1961
48	Cameroon	11 December 1961
49	Tanzania	15 December 1961
50	Chile	17 July 1962
51	Nigeria	1 August 1962
52	Paraguay	12 December 1962
53	Iran	22 January 1964
54	Malaysia	18 May 1964
—	Sovereign Military Order of Malta	24 April 1965
55	Zambia	27 February 1965
56	New Zealand	6 July 1966
57	Botswana	6 February 1967
58	Nauru	20 February 1968
59	Venezuela	27 August 1968
60	Afghanistan	17 September 1968
61	Equatorial Guinea	28 November 1968
62	Singapore	16 May 1969
63	Saudi Arabia	24 October 1969
64	Bolivia	7 January 1970
65	Bangladesh	24 February 1972
66	Romania	28 February 1972
67	Serbia	28 February 1972
68	Guatemala	21 June 1972
69	Nicaragua	10 August 1973
70	Poland	22 September 1973
71	Hungary	28 September 1973
72	Panama	28 September 1973
73	Czech Republic	5 October 1973
74	Mongolia	11 October 1973
75	Bulgaria	16 November 1973
76	Fiji	18 December 1973
77	Maldives	12 July 1974
78	United Arab Emirates	19 August 1974
79	Peru	30 November 1974
80	Iraq	12 January 1975
81	Algeria	10 April 1975
82	Morocco	10 April 1975
83	China	9 June 1975
84	Kenya	4 July 1975
85	Papua New Guinea	16 September 1975
86	Tunisia	15 December 1975
87	Uruguay	29 December 1975
88	Jordan	1 March 1976
89	Sudan	7 March 1976
90	Senegal	15 March 1976
91	Somalia	20 April 1976
92	Central African Republic	2 June 1976
93	Russia	2 June 1976
94	Bahamas	1 July 1976
95	Liberia	4 July 1976
96	Ecuador	5 July 1976
97	Gabon	6 July 1976
98	Vietnam	12 July 1976
99	Libya	17 November 1976
100	Ethiopia	7 February 1977
101	Yemen	4 May 1977
102	Samoa	1 June 1977
103	Malta	9 June 1977
104	Guinea-Bissau	27 October 1977
105	Bahrain	27 November 1978
106	Kuwait	18 January 1979
107	Cyprus	6 March 1980
108	Zimbabwe	18 April 1980
109	Jamaica	15 May 1980
110	Oman	6 October 1980
111	Guinea	25 December 1980
112	Qatar	5 May 1981
113	Tonga	1 July 1981
114	Niger	16 October 1981
115	Rwanda	15 December 1982
116	Brunei	1 January 1984
117	Ireland	5 July 1984
118	Vanuatu	8 October 1986
119	Albania	11 June 1987
120	Seychelles	9 October 1987
121	Marshall Islands	15 September 1988
122	Federated States of Micronesia	10 January 1989
—	State of Palestine	4 September 1989
123	Sierra Leone	3 April 1991
124	Lithuania	15 December 1991
125	Latvia	17 December 1991
126	Estonia	19 December 1991
127	Kazakhstan	19 March 1992
128	Tajikistan	25 March 1992
129	Azerbaijan	27 March 1992
130	Moldova	30 March 1992
131	Ukraine	7 April 1992
132	Uzbekistan	13 April 1992
133	Kyrgyzstan	24 April 1992
134	Armenia	20 May 1992
135	Georgia	21 September 1992
136	Slovakia	1 January 1993
137	Slovenia	3 February 1993
138	Eswatini	19 February 1993
139	Croatia	25 February 1993
140	Turkmenistan	23 July 1993
141	South Africa	1 November 1993
142	Ivory Coast	22 March 1995
143	Liechtenstein	24 November 1995
144	Namibia	17 May 1996
145	Belarus	22 May 1996
146	Gambia	26 June 1996
147	Eritrea	4 February 1997
148	Mozambique	27 March 1997
149	Palau	15 July 1997
150	Suriname	16 December 1997
151	Mauritius	23 January 1998
152	Djibouti	16 February 1998
153	Lesotho	15 April 1998
154	Iceland	24 February 1999
155	Benin	3 January 2000
156	Democratic Republic of the Congo	9 January 2000
157	Republic of the Congo	19 January 2000
158	Andorra	22 February 2000
159	Cape Verde	21 March 2000
160	Kiribati	25 March 2000
161	Trinidad and Tobago	18 April 2000
162	Belize	4 May 2000
163	North Korea	12 July 2000
164	Saint Kitts and Nevis	11 August 2000
165	Togo	24 August 2000
166	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	11 October 2000
167	São Tomé and Príncipe	8 November 2000
168	Bosnia and Herzegovina	12 January 2001
169	Malawi	3 May 2001
170	Angola	14 September 2001
171	Timor-Leste	20 May 2002
172	Tuvalu	23 September 2002
173	Burkina Faso	10 October 2002
174	San Marino	3 April 2003
175	Uganda	12 December 2003
176	Solomon Islands	27 September 2004
177	Monaco	15 December 2006
178	Guyana	25 September 2008
179	Barbados	22 June 2009
180	Montenegro	26 September 2009
181	Antigua and Barbuda	16 July 2010
182	Dominica	29 April 2011
183	Comoros	25 November 2011
—	Cook Islands	12 December 2011
184	South Sudan	13 March 2013
185	Mauritania	30 September 2013
186	Saint Lucia	29 March 2016
187	Burundi	30 June 2017
188	North Macedonia	22 September 2021
—	Niue	27 September 2022
189	Mali	24 November 2022
190	Grenada	8 May 2025
191	Bhutan	6 October 2025

Bilateral relations

Asia

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Azerbaijan	March 27, 1992	President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received the credentials of the incoming Filipino ambassador to Azerbaijan, Marilyn Jusayan Alarilla. During a meeting following the ceremony, the ambassador conveyed Filipino President Benigno Aquino III's greetings to the Azerbaijani leader. She noted the Philippines was interested in developing the cooperation with Azerbaijan in different areas, including energy, science and technologies. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said there was potential for developing Azerbaijan–Philippines relations in many spheres, particularly the economic one.
Bahrain	January 1978
Bangladesh	February 24, 1972
Bhutan	October 6, 2025	Prior to the formalization of ties, numerous senators and high-profile dignitaries from the Philippines have visited Bhutan and have expressed their intentions to spread the Gross National Happiness doctrine in the Philippines, seeing it as an effective and efficient way to enhance nation-building, environmental conservation, cultural propagation, and human rights. In September 2014, the Prime Minister of Bhutan visited the Philippines and the Asian Development Bank headquarters in Manila. In 2014, officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan visited the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center of the Philippines to gain insights about the country's PPP Program.
Brunei	January 1, 1984	In April 2009, The Philippines and Brunei signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that sought to strengthen their bilateral cooperation in the fields of agricultural trade, innovation, and investments. The MOU further strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two Southeast Asian countries, particularly in the fields of agriculture and farm-related trade and investments. The two countries have agreed to cooperate in plant science, crops technology, vegetable and fruit preservation, biotechnology, post-harvest technology, livestock, organic agriculture, irrigation and water resources and halal industry.
Cambodia	August 1957
China	June 9, 1975
India	November 26, 1949
Indonesia	November 24, 1949
Iran	January 22, 1964
Iraq	January 12, 1975
Israel	February 26, 1958	The Philippines voted in favor of UN Resolution 181 concerning the partition of Palestine and the Creation of the State of Israel in 1947. The Philippines was among the 33 countries who supported the creation of Israel and the only Asian country which voted for the resolution.
Japan	July 23, 1956
Jordan	March 1, 1976	The Philippines and Jordan agreed to establish formal diplomatic relations and to exchange ambassadors on March 1, 1976.
Kazakhstan	March 19, 1992	Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the Philippines were formally established on March 19, 1992. The Philippines maintains relations with Kazakhstan through its embassy in Russia. Kazakhstan has an honorary consulate in Manila. Trade between Kazakhstan and the Philippines amounted to 7.3 million U.S. dollars during the period from January to November 2010. In 2009, about 1,500 Kazakh tourists visited the Philippines. As of 2009, there are about 7,000 Overseas Filipino Workers who are working in Western Kazakhstan, mostly in the oil and gas sector. Kazakhstan is seeking Filipino investment in its economy. On 2011, Kazakhstan was planning to put up a Kazakh house in the Philippines in either Bonifacio Global City or Makati to showcase Kazakh products and promote its tourist destinations. There were also plans to put up a Philippine House in Kazakhstan for the same purpose and to put Filipino art exhibits in Kazakhstan. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, and his 27 delegates arrived in the Philippines for a three-day state visit on November 10, 2003, at Villamor Air Base in Pasay. The Kazakh officials met with their Filipino counterparts and conducted meetings. Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo met with Nazarbayev to finalize the Philippines' intent to import oil and coal from Kazakhstan and discussed possible infrastructure projects in the Central Asian country. The Philippines also supported Kazakhstan's bid to become a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum on security.
Kuwait	January 17, 1979
Laos	January 14, 1955
Malaysia	1959
Mongolia	October 11, 1973
Myanmar	September 29, 1956
Nepal	February 12, 1960	The Philippines and Nepal established diplomatic relations on February 12, 1960. Both countries are members of the Non-Aligned Movement. There are about 300 Filipinos living in Nepal, mainly missionaries, professionals, skilled workers, volunteers, or spouses of Nepalese or other nationals as of March 2011. Approximately 500 Nepalese students are studying in the Philippines for their higher-level education.
North Korea	July 12, 2000
Oman	October 6, 1980
Pakistan	September 8, 1949
Palestine	1989	The Philippines was among the 138 countries that voted in favor of the United Nations resolution recognizing Palestine as a non-member state.
Qatar	April 12, 1975
Saudi Arabia	September 24, 1969
Singapore	May 16, 1969
South Korea	March 3, 1949	The Philippines was the fifth state to recognize the Republic of Korea and the first ASEAN country to establish relations with South Korea.
Sri Lanka	January 10, 1961
Syria	September 4, 1946	The Republic of the Philippines formally established diplomatic relations with the Syrian Arab Republic on September 4, 1946. The Philippines has an embassy in Damascus. Syria has an consulate in Manila.
Taiwan	N/A (Formal relations rescinded in 1975)	The Philippines recognizes the One-China policy but has informal relations with the Republic of China (ROC, also known as Taiwan) through the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Manila.
Tajikistan	March 25, 1992
Thailand	June 14, 1949
Timor-Leste	May 20, 2002
Turkey	June 13, 1949	See Philippines–Turkey relations Philippines has an embassy in Ankara. Turkey has an embassy in Manila. Trade volume between the two countries was US$219.7 million in 2015 (Filipino exports/imports: 115.7/104 million USD). 2,200 Philippine nationals are residing in Turkey. There are direct flights from Istanbul to Manila since March 2015.
United Arab Emirates	June 17, 1980
Uzbekistan	April 13, 1992	The first round of political consultations between the Philippines and Uzbekistan was held in Tashkent on March 3, 2011. Uzbekistan expressed its support for the Philippines' bid to gain observer status in the OIC and its hopes for the resolution of the Muslim insurgency mainly affecting the southern part of the Philippines. The Philippines highlighted untapped potential, despite remote geographical position, for developing trade and economic cooperation, especially between Filipino and Uzbek financial institutions.
Vietnam	July 12, 1976
Yemen	May 4, 1977	In 2011, there were about 1,600 Filipinos working in Yemen with about a thousand in the capital of Sana'a. The majority worked in the health and petroleum industries. Yemen supports the Philippines' bid for observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and a peaceful resolution to the Islamic insurgency in the Philippines.

Africa

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Egypt	January 18, 1955
Equatorial Guinea	1968	Equatorial Guinea supported the Philippines's bid for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. Both the Philippines and Equatorial Guinea were former Spanish colonies. There are about 4,000 Filipino workers in Equatorial Guinea. There has been cordial ties especially in the fields of trade and investments, agriculture, education, cultural and technical cooperation. The Philippines is interested in partnering with Equatorial Guinean entities to conduct oil exploration and the possibility of importing oil from Equatorial Guinea. The Philippines is also interested in developing infrastructure for seaports to improve cargo handling and delivery. He^[who?] likewise expressed Philippine interest in developing facilities for seaports to improve cargo handling and delivery.
Ethiopia	2013	The Philippines and Ethiopia signed their first air agreement in 2014.
Ghana	March 5, 1957	The Republic of Ghana has opened its consulate in the Philippines to extend and render assistance to Ghanaians and help maintain relations between the two countries.
Gambia	June 26, 1996
Ivory Coast	March 21, 1995	There were some 100 Filipinos in Côte d'Ivoire, mostly professional and skilled workers and some permanent residents, and the Philippine government had repatriated 10 Filipinos after tensions in the country started following the second round of the 2010 presidential elections.
Kenya	May 20, 1975	Kenya–Philippines relations Kenya is represented to the Philippines from its embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. On the other hand, the Philippines maintains an embassy in Nairobi.
Libya	November 17, 1976
Morocco	December 27, 1975
Mozambique	March 27, 1997
Nigeria	1962
Sierra Leone	1991	Sierra Leone and the Philippines have pledged to strengthen bilateral relations to the mutual benefit of both countries. The two countries vow to work further to expand their relations in the socio-economic, political and cultural fields.
South Africa	November 1, 1993
South Sudan	March 13, 2013	The Philippines officially recognized South Sudan as a sovereign and independent state soon after South Sudan declared its independence on July 9, 2011.

Americas

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Argentina	1948
Bolivia	January 6, 1970	Bolivia and Philippines were both Spanish colonies, diplomatic relations between the two countries began in 1970. The Philippine Embassy in Buenos Aires exercised jurisdiction over Bolivia. Furthermore, the Embassy of Bolivia in Tokyo has jurisdiction over the Philippines, while the Philippine Embassy in Santiago, Chile, has jurisdiction over Bolivia. It also has two honorary consulates in Bolivia in the cities of La Paz and Santa Cruz de la Sierra. There are about 15 Filipinos in Bolivia most of them are religious missionaries and others are married with Bolivians.
Brazil	July 4, 1946
Barbados	June 22, 2009	Barbados established formal relations with the Philippines with the signing of a Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations in New York on June 22, 2009. The establishment of relations was proposed by Barbados the year before through the Philippines' embassy in Caracas in Venezuela. With the closure of the Philippine Embassy in Caracas in 2012, jurisdiction was transferred to the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Belize	4 May 2000	Both countries established diplomatic relations on May 4, 2000.
Canada	1949
Colombia	July 5, 1946	Colombia-Philippines relations remain strong, Colombians were among the Latin Americans who supported the revolt of Andres Novales, Emperor of the Philippines, against Spain. The first Miss International, Stella Marquez of Colombia, also married Jorge Araneta a Filipino of partial Mexican descent.
Cuba	September 3, 1952
Mexico	April 14, 1953
Peru	November 30, 1974
United States	July 4, 1946
Venezuela	August 27, 1968

Europe

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Armenia	May 20, 1992	The Philippines and Armenia established bilateral relations in 1992. Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan visited the Philippines in 2012, the highest government official of Armenia to ever visit the Philippines. Armenia has an ambassador resident in Hanoi. The Philippines has an ambassador resident in Moscow.
Austria	October 17, 1946
Belgium	July 4, 1946
Croatia	February 25, 1993
Czech Republic	1973
Denmark	September 28, 1946
France	June 26, 1947
Germany	April 25, 1955
Georgia	September 21, 1992
Greece	1947
Holy See	April 9, 1951
Hungary	1976
Iceland	February 24, 1999
Ireland	1984
Italy	July 9, 1947
Netherlands	May 17, 1951
North Macedonia	September 24, 2021	On September 24, 2021, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. signed a joint communique with Macedonian foreign minister Bujar Osmani to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Norway	March 2, 1948
Poland	September 22, 1973
Romania	April 12, 1975
Russia	June 2, 1976
Serbia	February 28, 1972	Both countries have established diplomatic relations in 1972. A number of bilateral agreements in various fields have been concluded and are in force between both countries.
Spain	September 27, 1947
Sweden	1947	Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Sweden were established in 1947, and have steadily intensified during the years. Sweden has long been a development partner of the Philippines. Sweden's cooperation with the Philippines focuses on issues concerning the environment, human rights, good governance, training, and assistance to non-government organizations (NGOs).
Switzerland	August 30, 1956
Turkey	June 13, 1949
Ukraine	April 7, 1992
United Kingdom	July 4, 1946	The Philippines established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 4 July 1946. The Philippines maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to the Philippines through its embassy in Manila. Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have an Investment Agreement.

Oceania

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Australia	May 22, 1946
Nauru	February 19, 1968
New Zealand	July 6, 1966
Palau	July 15, 1997
Papua New Guinea	September 16, 1975

Relations with former states

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
South Vietnam		The Philippines recognized South Vietnam in July 1955. The Philippines sent troops to aid them in the Vietnam War. The Philippine embassy in Saigon ceased operations on April 29, 1975
South Yemen	October 21, 1977
Yugoslavia	March 1, 1972
Soviet Union

Multilateral relations

Organizations	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Association of Southeast Asian Nations		The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration together with Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. The Philippines was one of the Founding nations.
European Union	2013	The European Union and the Philippines shares diplomatic, economic, cultural and political relations. The European Union has provided €3 million to the Philippines to fight poverty and €6 million for counter-terrorism against terrorist groups in the Southern Philippines. The European Union is also the third largest trading partner of the Philippines. There are at least 31,961 Europeans (not including Spaniards) living in the Philippines.
United Nations	October 24, 1945	When the Philippines joined signing the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, United States. This partnership has progressed since then into a number of development initiatives, activities and programs. Technical, financial and other forms of assistance to the Philippines began in the late 1940, as the country recovered from the ravages of World War II. The partnership between the United Nations and the Philippines began in 1945.