President Ferdinand ”Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has welcomed the newly-designated envoys of Italy, India, Ireland, Finland, and the European Union (EU), with the aim of enhancing ties with these countries.
On Monday, Marcos welcomed Italy’s Ambassador-designate Davide Giglio as he expects him to contribute to the dynamic relations between the Philippines and Italy.
“We all, of course, (we) are terribly very grateful to Italy for the show of support. And we consider it not just a show of support for the Philippines, but also to the rule of law and to make it very clear on that we are like-minded states,” Marcos told Giglio during the latter’s presentation of credentials.
The Philippines and Italy celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2022. Last year, the total trade between the two countries had reached US$1.2 billion.
Meanwhile, India’s Ambassador-designate Harsh Kumar Jain also presented his credentials to the Philippine president.
Marcos, for his part, recognized the Philippines’ long-standing friendship with India as he aims to reaffirm the country’s commitment to pursuing stronger political, economic, and cultural ties with the South Asian country.
In 2023, the bilateral trade between the Philippines and India have reached new heights, surpassing the US$3 billion mark.
Aside from the bilateral relations, the Philippines and India also have strong defense ties.
To recall, the Department of National Defense recently approved the acquisition of a Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System (SBASMS) for the Philippine Navy through a government-to-government deal.
Aside from the two envoys, those who presented their credentials to Marcos were Ireland’s Ambassador-designate Emma Hickey, Finland’s Ambassador Saija Nurminen, and European Union’s Ambassador Mariomassimo Santoro. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
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