Duterte thanks South Korea for infra, coronavirus aid

By Prince Golez

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday thanked the South Korean government for supporting the Philippines’ development priorities and infrastructure drive, including its timely provision of emergency aid to fight the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

During the farewell call of outgoing South Korean Ambassador Han Dong-Man, Duterte said he is looking forward to the completion of joint key projects such as the New Cebu International Container Port Project, Dumaguete Airport and the Capas-Botolan Road Project.

The President also highlighted broader and deeper cooperation between the Philippines and South Korea in defense, security and maritime domain awareness, as well as acknowledged the East Asian nation’s assistance in the repatriation of 2,137 Filipinos.

Meanwhile, Duterte congratulated Ambassador Han for his successful tour of duty in the Philippines, citing his “excellent diplomatic work.”

“During Ambassador Han’s tenure, the Philippines and South Korea increased the frequency of high-level exchanges and interactions, with Duterte undertaking a bilateral visit to Seoul in 2018 and to Busan for the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit last year,” Malacañang said in a statement, adding that Duterte and President Moon Jae-in met several times on the sidelines of multilateral meetings.

The President also noted that South Korea was the Philippines’ fifth largest trade partner, fourth largest donor country, and fourth largest investor in 2019.

For his part, Ambassador Han expressed his gratitude to Duterte for the latter’s commitment to elevate the special ties between the Philippines and South Korea.

The South Korean envoy also reiterated the importance and value of his country’s relationship with the Philippines and vowed to further strengthen cooperation across all areas of mutual concern.

He also thanked the Filipino nation for its many contributions to peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)