Qatar attaches great importance to Philippines as friend, partner: Envoy

Manila: Ambassador of Qatar to the Philippines, H E Ahmed Saad Al Hamidi (pictured) underlined that the visit by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Th...

Manila: Ambassador of Qatar to the Philippines, H E Ahmed Saad Al Hamidi (pictured) underlined that the visit by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Manila reflects the common interest in strengthening the bilateral relations and consolidating the bonds of friendship between the two countries and peoples.

Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the Ambassador said that H H the Amir’s visit to the Philippines would certainly enhance the relations and friendship between the two countries, and open broad horizons for cooperation in various fields.

The visit also acquires a regional dimension in light of the Philippines’ status and its role in the Association of Southeast Asia (ASEAN) as a country that enjoys an economic weight and future importance in shaping the regional and global economy, he indicated.

The State of Qatar attaches great importance to the Philippines as an important friend and partner, and there has been a keenness on developing the relations between the two countries over the past four decades in various fields of economy, trade and politics, the Ambassador stressed.

In this context, he pointed to a visit by Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to the Philippines in 2012, which contributed to increasing the rapprochement between the two friendly countries, and laid the first building blocks for cooperation both at the Philippine level and the region as a whole.