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

Marcos welcomed the Qatari Emir on his first visit to the Philippines, marking a significant milestone in the longstanding relations between the two nations.

In his opening remarks ahead of their bilateral meeting, the President 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 a stronger collaboration in common fields of interest,” Marcos told Sheikh Tamim.

Their meeting was aimed at furthering the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Qatar on various levels, including government, commercial, and people-to-people interactions.

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

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

“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 and progress of our country,” he said.

Agreements signed

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

“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 sectors and both the countries,” the Emir added.

The Presidential Communications Office said the Qatari leader’s two-day state visit was at the invitation of Marcos. The previous state visit by a Qatari Amir to the Philippines occurred in 2012, made by Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the father of the current leader.

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

The signed deals were an agreement between the two countries to waive the visa requirement for holders of diplomatic and special or official passports; a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of sports; and an MoU on cooperation in the field of youth.

Other MoUs signed were on cooperation in combating human trafficking; on technical cooperation and capacity-building on climate change; on tourism and business events; on mutual recognition of seafarers’ certificates; as well as MoUs between the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and between the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry.