PH Ambassador Receives Dir. Al Hammadi of UAE Foreign Ministry to Discuss Further Expansion of PH-UAE Cooperation

ABU DHABI 28 April 2023 — Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso A. Ver received on 26 April 2023 H.E. Nooh Al Hammadi, Director for East Asia and the Pacific Department of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) to discuss futher expansion of Philippines-UAE cooperation.

At said meeting, the two officials tackled the preparations being undertaken for the PH-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which would unlock the enormous trade and investment potential between the two countries. They also agreed to work towards the finalization of bilateral agreements on defense, culture, science and technology, judicial agreements to ensure mutual gains in these areas.

With UAE's hosting of COP28, the two agreed on the need to embark on cooperation on renewable energy as well as on climate change action, and on a possible high-level delegation from the Philippines. Forthcoming meetings on bilateral labor cooperation which would tackle measures to further ensure the protection of the rights of Filipino workers, as well as joint efforts in combatting human trafficking were also discussed.

According to Amb. Ver, "My extensive discussion today with Dir. Al Hammadi gives me great assurance of the abiding commitment of our two sides to fully explore the breadth and depth of Philippines-UAE bilateral relations so that our cooperation is further expanded in all these areas so that the next generation of Filipinos and Emiratis would have a bright and prosperous future ahead."

Amb. Ver likewise thanked Dir. Al Hammadi for expressing solidarity with the Philippines when, on behalf of MOFAIC, he signed the condolence book at the Embassy on the passing of former DFA Secretary Alberto del Rosario. END

For more information, visit https://www.abudhabipe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.facebook.com/PHinUAE/, https://twitter.com/PHinUAE or https://www.instagram.com/phinuae/.