24 January 2017- Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto R. Yasay, Jr. and His Excellency Ahmed Araïta Ali, Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti to the Philippines, recently signed in Manila the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Bilateral Consultations aimed at bolstering their nearly two decades of diplomatic relations.

The MOU serves as a  framework for the two countries’ foreign ministries to hold regular consultations to address bilateral relations, explore further cooperation across various sectors, and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern and interest.

The day before the MOU was signed, the Djiboutian Ambassador and Ambassador Claro S. Cristobal, Director-General of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) signed the MOU between the FSI of the Philippines and the Institute for Diplomatic Studies of Djibouti.

The MOU will pave the way for cooperation and exchange with a view to enriching the two countries’ respective programs for diplomatic training, research, publications, and academic exchanges.

Ambassador Ali, who is based in Tokyo, Japan, visited Manila on January 09 to 12 to attend the traditional New Year Vin d’ Honneur hosted by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on January 11. END