President Aquino receives credentials of new envoys

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan Palace. (Photo Benhur Arcayan/Malacañang Photo Bureau)

MANILA – President Benigno S. Aquino III on Tuesday welcomed four new resident ambassadors to the Philippines in a ceremony held at the Rizal Hall of Malacañang Palace.

President Aquino, assisted by Foreign Affairs Secretary Jose Rene Almendras and Chief of Presidential Protocol Celia Anna Feria received the credentials of Ambassadors-Designate Rodrigo do Amaral Souza of the Federative Republic of Brazil; Ali Ibrahim AI Al-Malki of the State of Qatar; Hazim Ahmed Mahmud Al-Yousifi of the Republic of Iraq; and Capaya Rodriguez Gonzalez of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

In his brief speech, the President recalled the crises nations have faced in recent years.

“These past few years alone, we have confronted the scourge of pandemics, transnational crime, terrorism, the refugee crisis, global economic uncertainty, and climate change, among many others,” he said.

He however noted that while these issues “may cause much worry among our peoples, they also represent opportunities for us to exchange best practices and to cooperate more fully with one another”.

“Indeed, if we can deepen our relations in a truly meaningful manner, if we can tap into each other’s strengths and thereby mitigate or even erase our respective weaknesses, we can solve these problems sooner rather than later,” President Aquino said.

Wishing the envoys a productive stay in the Philippines, the Chief Executive asked them to carry on as his duly elected successor assumes office on June 30.

“Presidents may come and go but the friendship between our respective nations must always remain and flourish,” he said.

“I’m hopeful that even after my time in office, our commitment to strengthening our relations will endure and that we can truly give rise to a world that is stable, just, and progressive, a world we can be proud to bequeath to future generations,” he added.