President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday pledged to deepen ties between the Philippines and the Middle Eastern country through various new agreements and collaborative efforts.

This is after the Chief Executive welcomed the Qatari Emir on his inaugural visit to the Philippines, marking a significant moment in the longstanding relationship between the two nations.

In his opening remarks ahead of their bilateral meeting, Marcos highlighted the enduring friendship and cooperation that has spanned over four decades between the Philippines and Qatar.

“I'm certain that our discussions today will translate to stronger collaboration in common fields of interest,” Marcos told Sheikh Tamim.

Marcos also aimed to further improve the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Qatar at various levels including commercial, governmental, and people-to-people interactions.

In response, Sheikh Tamim thanked Marcos for the warm hospitality received and echoed the sentiments regarding the strengthening of ties.

The Qatari leader also praised the Filipino community in Qatar for their contributions to the country's development.

The discussions between the two leaders covered various areas of mutual interest that promise to deepen economic and trade cooperation.

“It is my pleasure to take this opportunity to praise the Filipino community residing in the State of Qatar and their effective contribution to the development progress in our country,” he said.

“The Philippines is an important partner for us in many fields, especially in trade and economic cooperation, and we aspire to improve these relations to increase communication between the private sector and both the countries,” the Emir added.

The Presidential Communications Office stated that the Qatari leader's two-day state visit was at the invitation of Marcos. The previous state visit from a Qatari Emir to the Philippines occurred in 2012, conducted by Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the father of the current leader.

Memorandum of Agreements signed

After their bilateral meeting, the leaders signed nine agreements intended to enhance the bilateral relations between the two countries.

The signed deals are as follows: Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the State of Qatar on the waiver of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and special or official passports; Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the State of Qatar on cooperation in the field of sports; and Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the State of Qatar on cooperation in the field of youth.

Both the leaders also signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the State of Qatar on cooperation in combating human trafficking; Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the State of Qatar on technical cooperation and capacity-building on climate change; Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the State of Qatar in the field of tourism and business events; Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the State of Qatar on mutual recognition of seafarers' certificates; Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippines Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Memorandum of Understanding between the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry.