Duterte to secure 7 deals during Israel, Jordan trips

A TOTAL of seven agreements are expected to be signed during President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to Israel and Jordan in September, an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday, August 30.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella said Duterte's trips to Israel and Jordan would be a "huge leap" in the Philippines' bilateral partnerships with both nations after decades of diplomatic ties with them.

"President Rodrigo Duterte is undertaking historic visits on September 2 to 8 to renew and expand ties with Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan upon invitation of [Israel] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan," Abella told a press conference.

"These trips will be the first by a sitting Philippine President to both countries. The visit will mark historic milestones, beneft trade, and strenghten relationships with key partners in the Middle East," he added.

The Philippines formally established its diplomatic ties with Israel on August 9, 1957. On the other hand, formal diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Jordan was established on March 1, 2976.

Abella said the Philippines and Israel would sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the employment of Filipino caregivers, and two memoranda of understanding (MOU) in the areas of science and investment cooperation.

He added that the retiring military and police officials who would join Duterte's trip would have their "own program."

"They will also be exposed to the latest developments pertaining to their areas of expertise. I believe Philippine embassies are arranging some exposure trips for these gentlemen. They have their own program," he said.

Abella said Duterte would witness the signing of MOA on the employment of domestic workers, MOU on labor cooperation, MOU on defense cooperation, investment agreement, and a mutual recognition of Standard of Training and Certification of Watch keepers for Seafarers during his visit to Jordan.

He said the renewal and expansion of relations with the two countries proved that the Philippines is fulfilling a foreign policy of "friends to all, enemies to none."

The DFA official's remarks came even after several member-states of the United Nations do not recognie Israel as a state,

Abella was confident that Duterte's visit to the two countries would not be an "obstacle" with its biltateral ties with other states, stressing that the Philippines merely wanted to do its part to promote peace and stability in the region.

"Strengthening ties with these nations will promote economic growth, create new employment opportunities, and enhanced security," he said.

"A closer relationship with these nations means more opportunity to share expertise with each other in the field of science, agriculture industry and counter-terrorism," he added.

There are around 28,304 and 40,000 overseas Filipino workers in Israel and in Jordan, respectively, as of 2017. (SunStar Philippines)

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