Manila - The European Union on Monday underscored the need to incorporate the protection and promotion of human rights into an agreement being negotiated with the Philippines, which seeks to expand political, security and economic cooperation.

James Moran, the EU's director for Asia and chief EU negotiator for the Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the Philippines, stressed that human rights is one of the cornerstones of the pact.

"Respect of human rights and the collective preservation of peace and security are the very basis for improving the life of our peoples," he said at the start of two-day negotiations in Manila. "This is one of the objectives of the PCA."

"Building on this, we seek to strengthen and enhance our cooperation," he said. "The PCA embraces a vast number of activities, which we can jointly undertake to give practical meaning to our mutual commitment."

The EU was among dozens of foreign governments that condemned a spate of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, which resulted in the death of nearly 900 political activists since 2001 under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The EU has also criticized the Philippine government's failure to stop the murders and prosecute soldiers and military officers accused of being behind the killings.

More than 400 political activists have also disappeared in the Philippines since 2001, many of whom are believed to have been abducted by the military and feared dead by now.

Local and international human rights groups have blamed the military for most of the killings and disappearances, which were allegedly being perpetrated as part of the armed forces' anti-insurgency campaign.

The Philippines is the fifth member of Association of the South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to negotiate a PCA with the EU. Negotiations have been completed with Indonesia and are currently at an advanced stage with Singapore and Thailand.

The EU also recently started negotiations with Vietnam, and is expected to start formal talks with Malaysia and Brunei.

"[The] relationship between the EU and the Philippines has a tremendous potential," Moran said.

The EU is the fourth-largest trading partner of the Philippines, accounting for 14 per cent of total trade in goods. It is one of the largest foreign investors in the country and a top source of official development assistance. (dpa)