Malta, PH eyes cooperation agreement

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MANILA — Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta Fra’ Matthew Festing visited Malacañang to discuss bilateral engagement between their states.

More than just providing assistance to the victims of the Super Typhoon “Yolanda,” the Sovereign Military Order of Malta also wants to further enhance its cooperation agreement with the country.

“The Order of Malta intends to strengthen our collaboration and our relations with the Republic of the Philippines in the short term future. We are discussing the possibility of a cooperation agreement and indeed the elaboration of what we have been doing here so far,” Fra’ Festing said during his courtesy call on Aquino.

“So I hope very much that my visit and that of my colleagues will be part of the ongoing and developing program which will further enhance the relations between the Order and indeed your country,” he added.

The prince arrived in the Philippines on Sunday, which was also the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malta and the Philippines.

He is set to visit the 700 shelter units donated by the Order of Malta to the victims of Yolanda in Basey, Samar.

Meanwhile, a symbolic key that represents Malta’s donation  of new homes for the typhoon victims was handed by Fra’ Festing during his courtesy visit to President Aquino.

“We stand by our commitment to work with your people accompanying the delivery of goods and the construction of infrastructures with solidarity and brotherhood embodied in our shared values,” Fra’ Festing said.

“The strength of our partnership comes as no surprise. After all, we share many of the same values, especially given our common Roman Catholic heritage,” Aquino told Fra’ Festing.