President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. returned to the Philippines on Wednesday, following what he described as a “short, but highly productive“ one-day working visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In his arrival statement, Marcos said his visit was meant to commemorate 50 years of “very strong and friendly, and rapidly progressing bilateral ties” between the Philippines and the UAE.
During his visit, Marcos said he reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties with the aim of “progressing towards new spheres of engagement.”
Several bilateral agreements were signed during the President’s visit, covering areas such as culture; energy transition; legal cooperation; artificial intelligence and digital economy; improvement of government activities; visa waiver for holders of diplomatic, special, and official passports; and investment cooperation.
Marcos also met with UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, expressing his gratitude to the UAE’s care and respect for the Filipino community there.
In response, the UAE leader commended the Filipinos for their contributions toward UAE’s development.
“I thanked Sheikh Al Nahyan for understanding that my visit had to be cut short, given the need to attend to relief and reconstruction activities in communities devastated by successive typhoons,” Marcos said.
“I also conveyed appreciation for the UAE government’s constant humanitarian support for victims of these natural calamities,” he added.
Marcos said he has invited Al Nahyan to the Philippines to continue their dialogue and explore further areas of cooperation. (PNA)
