Norway is eyeing expanding cooperation with the Philippines in the aquaculture and retail sector, according to Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines Christian Halaas Lyster.
The Ambassador shared with Manila Bulletin that Filipinos who are interested in implementing new technology in their fishery business and increasing production for local demand and export, they think of Norway.
“They are looking towards Norway when it comes to technology within fish farming. So maybe in the future, there could be a potential for closer collaboration when it comes to aquaculture and fish farming,” he said.
“And also making it possible for some of the fish farmers here in the Philippines to increase production, because I think some of the challenges now is that fish farms here are quite small. Then again, we will need equipment, etc. That might be an area that could be interesting to explore further,” he added.
Ambassador Lyster said that in recent years, the Nordic architectural style and design have been more popular among some groups of Filipinos as “…More and more homes in the Philippines look towards Nordic inspiration,”
However, the market of Nordic design products in the Philippines is quite limited, therefore, he expected more cooperation in the retail sector can be developed in the future.
“I hope in the future we can showcase more [of the Nordic way]. It’s all about simplicity, sustainability, and I think these are things that more and more Filipinos are starting to appreciate. Even though it’s far away, it’s possible to do more,” he said.
In addition to the two areas mentioned above, Ambassador Lyster shared that Norway is enthusiastic about strengthening ties with the Philippines on trade by “making Norwegian seafood more available” in the Asian country, renewable energy (RE), maritime sector, and other related-to sustainability projects as well.
Source: Manila Bulletin
