Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero received Member of the UK House of Lords and former First Minister of Scotland, The Rt. Hon. Lord Jack McConnell, together with UK Ambassador Laure Beaufils, at the Senate on August 27.
Given Lord McConnell’s role as Adviser to the Bangsamoro peace process, the discussions centered on UK’s support for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), especially maintaining peace and accelerating development in the region.
They also discussed the future directions of its parliament, such as exploring inter-parliamentary links.
Both officials expressed optimism for the first parliamentary elections in the BARMM, likewise scheduled with the national and local elections in May 2025.
Senate President Escudero also outlined the Senate’s key legislative priorities which would encourage more foreign investments, including the CREATE MORE initiative and the proposed 99-year land leasehold measure.
For his part, Lord McConnell reiterated the UK’s commitment to continued cooperation in trade and investment, climate action, and conflict prevention and maintaining peace and stability in the region.
