14 November 2015 – Outgoing Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Philippines Ali Asghar Mohammadi made a farewell courtesy call on Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario on November 09 after serving for almost five years in the Philippines. Secretary del Rosario and Ambassador Mohammadi expressed their appreciation for the mutual support that was extended during the Ambassador’s term of assignment in the Philippines.
The Secretary thanked Ambassador Mohammadi for his outstanding work in maintaining the good bilateral relations between the Philippines and Iran. The Secretary stated that there is much to be grateful for, among which were the commutation of the death sentence of a convicted Filipino national in Iran which was made possible through the mediation of Ambassador Mohammadi, Iran’s support for the Mindanao Peace Process, as well as the humanitarian assistance that Iran extended in the aftermath of Supertyphoon Yolanda/Haiyan.
Calling Philippines-Iran relations a special relationship, the Secretary has expressed optimism on the promise of closer relations between the two countries in the post-sanctions period after the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program, through an upsurge in trade and investments, close cooperation in the fight against violence and extremism, and an active promotion of tourism.
Ambassador Mohammadi confirmed that although the Philippines and Iran bilateral relations faced some challenges in the past, these have been overcome. Amidst these challenges, bilateral consultation meetings remained in the agenda of both countries, together with high-level visits of Philippine government officials to Iran, as well as initial intelligence dialogue between the two countries. The Ambassador highlighted the good multilateral cooperation between the Philippines and Iran in international candidatures, human rights, and respect for the rule of law. He emphasized that the successful negotiations on the JCPOA attest to Iran’s respect for the rule of law.
For Ambassador Mohammadi, Philippines-Iran relations is heart-to-heart, as seen through the nurturing of family-based relationships within the Iranian-Filipino community, particularly within the Iranian student community in the Philippines and within the overseas Filipino community in Iran.
The Ambassador has reiterated the invitation from the Iranian government for Secretary Del Rosario to visit Iran. He emphasized that the visit of the Secretary will bring positive results to the future course of Philippines-Iran bilateral relations. END