LOOK: Duterte receives credentials of 8 new ambassadors

By Prince Golez

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday welcomed the new envoys from eight countries and affirmed the Philippines’ ties with them.

Duterte received the credentials of the Ambassadors-Designate from Saudi Arabia, Belgium, United Kingdom (UK) of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Italy, Sweden, Israel, and Malta during a ceremony at the Malacañang Palace.

Those who presented their credentials were Saudi Arabia Ambassador Hisham Sultan Al Zafir Al Qahtani, Belgium Ambassador Michel Parys, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island Ambassador Laure Beaufils, UAE Ambassador Mohamed Obaid Salem Alqataam Alzaabi, Italy Ambassador Marco Clemente, Sweden Ambassador Annika Thunborg, Israel Ambassador Ilan Fluss, and Malta Ambassador Leopoldo Lazatin.

“Over the past five decades, our bilateral relations have remained strong and resilient. Saudi Arabia is one of [our] oldest friends in the Middle East. Let us build on our past successes and elevate our relations to even greater heights. We look forward to working with you further to expand our cooperation in various areas of mutual benefit [to] our peoples,” Duterte told Al Qahtani.

He also thanked the Saudi Arabian Government for including Filipinos in its free Covid-19 vaccinate program, as well as its personal contributions to the success of the special mission to the Kingdom that led to the repatriation of the 645 distressed overseas workers in June.

To Parys, Duterte said: “We count on Belgium’s support for the resumption of talks on the Philippines-EU Free Trade Agreement and the Philippines’ coordinatorship of ASEAN-EU relations.”

The Chief Executive extended his appreciation to the Belgian government for the hospitality extended to Filipinos living in Belgium, especially during these challenging times.

Citing the UK assistance in repatriating Filipino nationals from Afghanistan, Duterte stressed that the welfare and well being of Filipinos overseas is an important priority of his administration.

“We should continue to strengthen cooperation on Covid-19 response, labor, defense and security, support for Mindanao, climate change, and other issues of mutual concern. This includes the effective implementation of the MOU on the recruitment of healthcare professionals which we signed recently,” he said during Beaufils’ presentation of credentials.

Duterte also welcomed the UK’s decision to delist the Philippines from its “Red List” ban on international travelers, noting that this will facilitate greater mobility and exchanges between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive expressed his gratitude to Alzaabi for extending timely assistance to distressed Filipinos in the UAE in his previous capacity as director of the Foreign Nationals Department of the Foreign Ministry.

“ I hope you will continue this good work as Ambassador here in our country,” he told him.

The Filipino leader likewise extended his deepest gratitude to UAE’s generous donations of medical supplies and Covid-19 vaccines which the government received last month.

In receiving the credentials of Clemente, Duterte sought Italy’s support for the resumption of the discussions on the Philippines-European Union Free Trade Agreement to broaden economic relations and accelerate the post-pandemic recovery.

The President also congratulated Italy on becoming a Development Partner of ASEAN.

“We appreciate your government’s sponsorship of capacity-building programs on civil defense and cybercrime for ASEAN Member States,” according to him.

During Thunborg’s presentation of credentials, Duterte said he was “very pleased” with Sweden’s growing interest in the Philippines.

Several Swedish companies have entered the Philippine market, including the global brand Ikea, he noted.

“I thank Sweden for the technical assistance grant for the improvement of the EDSA Busway. Enhanced mass transportation services and other key programs are important areas of cooperation to improve the quality of lives of Filipinos. Let us continue working on these.”

Duterte thanked the Israeli government for the hospitality and concern for the safety and well-being of Filipinos in Israel, and its timely Covid-19 assistance through vaccines, medical supplies, equipment and sharing of technical expertise and best practices on pandemic response.

“We look forward to even deeper and broader engagement in Israel in the years ahead, particularly in defense, labor, and tourism,” he told Fluss.

The President lauded Malta’s sustained humanitarian work in the Philippines throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are grateful for the Order’s assistance to communities through feeding programs, medical missions, and disaster relief operations… The Order may wish to consider helping displaced OFWs who have returned to the Philippines. Your expanded humanitarian programs will go a long way in helping them recover,” said Duterte.