By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Expanding the scope of the Philippines’ international relations beyond its usual trading partners, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed his commitment to bolstering ties with another nation.
This, as the President met with His Excellency Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Republic of the Philippines, who presented his Letter of Credence in a ceremony at Malacañang on Tuesday.
President Marcos Jr. addressed the high-ranking diplomat, “During your tenure as Ambassador, I look forward to further strengthening bilateral relations between our two countries.”
The meeting of both officials comes ahead of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of ties between the Philippines and Nigeria, which was conceived on August 1, 1962.
In light of the upcoming milestone, the President expressed optimism about cooperation, particularly in energy, security, trade, and investment, as well as pursuing initiatives that would benefit peoples of both nations.
He concluded in his remarks to the Nigerian ambassador, “I welcome you to the Philippines, and we look forward to working with you to promote and deepen our collaboration and cooperation, which has spanned 64 years.”
For his part, Ambassador Ibas assured the President that he will work hard to enhance the friendly and strong bilateral relations between the Philippines and Nigeria.
Also present during the event were Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, DFA Assistant Secretary Germinia Aguilar-Usudan, and Deputy Chief of Presidential Protocol Dennis Briones.
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