UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Mohamed Obaid Alqataam Alzaabi (Contributed photo)
MANILA – The Philippines and the United Arab Emirates marked 48 years of diplomatic relations, with the latter looking at more opportunities to deepen the collaboration, particularly on pandemic recovery.
In a statement issued on Thursday, UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Mohamed Obaid Alqataam Alzaabi said Abu Dhabi is eager to strengthen the two nations' bilateral ties in "all fields".
"This month marks the 48th anniversary of diptomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of the Philippines. ln less than five decades, bilateral relations have reached new heights at various levels, as our two countries have strengthened political collaboration, and trade and investment have grown significantly in recent years," he said.
The envoy believes that the challenges posed by the pandemic and deepening food insecurity across the world provide the two countries opportunities to increase exchanges.
At the onset of the pandemic, UAE was among the countries to extend assistance to the Philippines, donating 7.3 metric tons of personal protective equipment (PPE) gears and medical supplies as well as 100,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses.
This year, UAE and the Philippines also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on agricultural cooperation, putting their cooperation on addressing the deepening food insecurity across the world at a higher level.
The MOU is expected to set directions for engagement in soil science and management, biotechnology, post-harvest, agriculture research and development, agri-innovation, protected agriculture technology, and irrigation and water resources, among others.
Also recently, the two nations signed the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) and announced the start of official negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
"This agreement will help bolster trade and investment, remove barriers to trade, and create more job opportunities in both countries," Alzaabi said.
"Both countries are now looking forward to further promoting bilateral trade, which reached USD 806 million in 2021. The future of cooperation between the UAE and the Philippines is promising, with prosperity and opportunity awaiting both sides," he added. (PNA)
