COTABATO CITY – European Union (EU) Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro reaffirmed the EU’s enduring commitment to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), emphasizing its continued investment in peace, development, and regional transformation.
During his courtesy visit to Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua on July 23, Ambassador Santoro underscored the EU’s role as a long-standing partner in the region’s peace journey and ongoing normalization process.
“The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao can expect the continued support of the European Union because we are here to stay and continue investing in this wonderful region,” Santoro said.
He noted that the EU’s involvement in BARMM began with supporting peacebuilding efforts and has since expanded into development initiatives aimed at helping the region become a thriving business and investment environment.
“The EU has been a very long partner in the time of the BARMM. We started with the peace. We invested a lot in the normalization process. And now, we are transforming, making, and updating our support into moving with the normalization process from the peace-related element to the development-related element,” Santoro explained.
The EU is currently working with both the BARMM leadership and national government to ensure that international aid contributes effectively to regional growth and stability.
Chief Minister Macacua expressed appreciation for the EU’s sustained support, reaffirming the transitional government’s commitment to international collaboration.
“We continue to strengthen our cooperation and partnership with the international community toward BARMM’s peace and development and #StrongerBangsamoro,” Macacua shared in a social media post.
Their meeting focused on shared goals, including peacebuilding, sustainable development, and the promotion of moral governance in the Bangsamoro region.