President Duterte welcomed new envoys from 8 foreign countries to the Philippines.
On Wednesday, President Rodrigo Duterte welcomed the new envoys from 8 countries and also expressed intent to further bolster the country’s bilateral ties with them.
President Duterte received the credentials of ambassadors from Belgium, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom (UK) of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Sweden, Italy, Malta, and Israel at Malacañan Palace in Manila on Wednesday afternoon.
The President told Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the Philippines Hisham Sultan Al Zafir Al Qahtani that he’s looking forward to expanding Manila’s cooperation with Riyadh in “various areas of mutual benefit [to the two countries’] peoples”.
President Duterte also expressed hope to improve the bilateral trade and investment exchanges as well as the transportation and travel cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines.
The President likewise thanked the Saudi Arabian Government for being hospitable to nearly a million Filipinos in the host country offering free vaccination to them.
President Duterte also reaffirmed the country’s support for Saudi Arabia’s Labor Reform Initiative.
When Belgium’s Ambassador to the Philippines Michel Parys presented his credentials, the President said that he’s optimistic that the Joint Plan of Action would be signed in order to expand the two countries’ cooperative ties.
President Duterte also said that the Philippines was counting on Belgium’s support for the resumption of talks on the Philippines-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement and the country’s coordinatorship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-EU relations.
During the presentation of credentials of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island’s Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils, the President expressed intent to further strengthen the two countries’ cooperation on pandemic response, defense and security, labor, climate change, support for Mindanao, and other issues of mutual concern.
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President Duterte also hoped that the “stronger bond” between the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines would result in a “deeper partnership in many areas of mutual interest”.
The President likewise expressed appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for donating medical supplies and vaccines to the Philippines.
President Duterte told UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Mohamed Obaid Salem Alqataam Alzaabi that he understood his government was looking at ramping up cooperation in the Philippines in addressing the pandemic.
The President also conveyed to the Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Marco Clemente his intent to further enhance the cooperative and economic ties between Italy and the Philippines.
When President Duterte received the credentials of Sweden’s Ambassador to the Philippines Annika Thunborg, he expressed hope to improve Manila’s trade and investment cooperation with Stockholm.
The President also reaffirmed the Philippines’ “friendly and cooperative” relations with Israel during the presentation of Israel’s Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss’ credentials.
During the presentation of credentials of Malta’s Ambassador to the Philippines Leopoldo Lazatin, President Duterte said Valletta’s humanitarian aid to the Philippines was “laudable”, especially amidst the pandemic.
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