06 March 2017 ABU DHABI – Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto R. Yasay, Jr. met with the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash during his official visit to the United Arab Emirates, on March 02 to affirm the excellent ties between the Philippines and the U.A.E.

Secretary Yasay and Dr. Gargash discussed the tentative date for the visit of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to the U.A.E. The two also expressed their commitment to finalize pending bilateral agreements particularly on consular, judicial, and labor, to institutionalize cooperation towards improving the bilateral relations. The two sides affirmed the need to increase high-level visits to complement the already excellent people-to-people ties on the ground.

Dr. Gargash explained the foreign policy thrusts of the U.A.E. especially in the Arab region and noted the importance of international cooperation in order to address common security challenges such as extremism and terrorism.

The U.A.E. Cabinet Minister noted the valuable contribution of the Filipino community. Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary thanked U.A.E. for hosting the Filipino community in the U.A.E. and for supporting the country’s initiatives in improving the welfare of the Filipinos in the U.A.E.  

Philippine Ambassador to the U.A.E. Constancio R. Vingno, Jr., Special Envoy of the President to the Gulf Cooperation Council Amable R. Aguiluz V, Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Ariel Y. Abadilla, Assistant Secretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Reynaldo Catapang, Assistant Secretary for Middle East and African Affairs Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, and Third Secretary and Vice Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil joined Secretary Yasay during the meeting. END