
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces, for his country’s aid in containing the spread of Covid-19 in the Philippines, particularly in the Bangsamoro.
According to an official statement from the Office of the President (OP), Duterte thanked the Crown Prince in a telephone conversation on Tuesday.
“The President thanked the Crown Prince for the UAE’s Covid-19 assistance of seven metric tons of medical supplies, personal protective equipment and 100,000 doses of Hayat Vax vaccines that boosted vaccination in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM),” the statement read.
The BARMM is the Muslim-majority autonomous region in the Philippines.
“We look forward to further working closely with the UAE as we continue addressing the challenges of the pandemic,” Duterte was quoted saying.
To further strengthen the Philippines-UAE bilateral relations, Duterte and the Crown prince renewed commitment.
The President congratulated the UAE on its 50th Founding Anniversary and expressed appreciation for the care and concern for the almost 600,000 Filipinos residing in the UAE.
Meanwhile, Duterte expressed heartfelt regret for being unable to travel to the UAE to personally ensure that domestic measures to combat Covid-19 remain robust in the face of emerging variants.
When the circumstances permit, he stated his desire to proceed with the planned visit to “a great country under a ruler known for his equanimity”.
Duterte also extended his regards to His Highness Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
Planned visit
The Crown Prince stated he was looking forward to a visit by Duterte at the most convenient time.
He said he is honored to speak with Duterte and happy to note the growth of the UAE-Philippines “bilateral relations to a level both sides can be proud of.”
The Crown Prince assured Duterte that the UAE government will keep on providing the best possible care for Filipino people residing in the country.
The UAE benefits from the skills of Filipino workers, he said, and is happy to have them.
Terrorism and violent extremism
Both the President and Crown Prince expressed solidarity amid continuing threats caused by terrorism and violent extremism.
Duterte reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to “international cooperation in combatting terrorism by all means in accordance with international law”.