12 May 2016 – In line with further fostering relations between the ASEAN and Qatar, the ASEAN Committee in Doha (ACD) made a courtesy call on Qatar Assistant Foreign Minister Mr. Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 08.

Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Wilfredo C. Santos took the opportunity to highlight the strong people-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and Qatar in light of the roughly 200,000 overseas Filipinos that actively contribute to Qatar’s development, most of whom are in the oil & gas and health sectors. He also reported that the Filipino community in Qatar was recently awarded as “Best Community” by Dar Al-Sharq publication.

Ambassador Santos also called for the inaugural convening of the Joint Ministerial Commission, as provided under the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of a Joint Ministerial Commission for Bilateral Cooperation signed on 10 March 1997, and invited Assistant Foreign Minister Al-Muraikhi to visit the Philippines.

Assistant Foreign Minister Al-Muraikhi acknowledged the important role that the Filipino community plays in Qatar and looked forward to more avenues of cooperation with the Philippines, whether bilaterally or through the ACD. END