MANILA— The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday announced President Rodrigo Duterte officially accepted the invitation of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the country from September 2 to 5, 2018.
The official visit will be the first by a sitting Philippine President since diplomatic ties were established between the two countries 61 years ago in 1957, the DFA said in a statement.
In the announcement sent by DFA Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Elmer Cato, the agency said President Duterte and Prime Minister Netanyahu are expected to discuss “common concerns,” as well as ways ways to expand cooperation.
Among these are in the areas of labor, tourism, trade, agriculture, counterterrorism, and security and law enforcement.
The chief executive will also meet Israel President Reuven Rivlin to discuss development cooperation and the close historical and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
The DFA said the historic visit will highlight the enduring friendship between Filipinos and Israelis, which began when President Manuel L. Quezon opened the doors of the Philippines as a sanctuary to an estimated 1,300 Jewish refugees who were fleeing the Holocaust.
A business delegation representing different sectors of the Philippine economy will also join the visit and participate in a business forum to be keynoted by the President.
The DFA said several agreements are expected to be signed during the visit.
In a recent interview, Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau said a deal for Israel’s transfer of technology to the Philippines is one of the contracts they look forward to be signed.
The outgoing envoy, who recently received the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Grand Cross from President Duterte, said he will be part of the officials to welcome the chief executive to the Holy Land.
“It’s going to be the first visit of its kind of a sitting president of the Philippine to Israel with a large business delegation,” the envoy said.
The President will then meet members of the Filipino community in Israel to update them on developments in the country. (Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA)
