By NG Seruela
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud discussed the two countries’ commitment to “further strengthen their cooperation” on Wednesday (May 5).
In a telephone conversation, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman told President Duterte that the KSA is determined to “do its part in protecting and upholding the rights” of Filipino workers in their country.
On the other hand, the President acknowledged the KSA’s efforts to ensure that the “rights, welfare, and well-being of Filipinos in the Kingdom are protected and upheld, including recent efforts aimed at labor reform.”
Meanwhile, both the President and the Crown Prince agreed on the need to “to ramp up cooperation” in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
The President emphasized the need for “universal access to vaccines” to fight the pandemic. He also said nations must work together towards “equitable access to life-saving vaccines, particularly for developing and least-developed nations.”
The Crown Prince also stated the importance of strengthening bilateral economic partnership. He said efforts will continue to “to increase trade and investments by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Philippines.”
President Duterte expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia for including Filipinos in their COVID-19 vaccination program. He also welcomed the Crown Prince’s “recognition of bolstering economic engagement as an important part of Philippines-Saudi Arabia relations that needs to be sustained.” -jlo
