President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday expressed optimism over the Philippines’ closer ties with Oman, Albania, Azerbaijan, Côte d’Ivoire, Iceland, Georgia, and Somalia under the leadership of their newly designated ambassadors.

During Marcos’ meeting with Omani Ambassador to the Philippines Nasser Said Abdullah Almanwari at Malacañan Palace in Manila, the President renewed the Philippines’ commitment to strengthening diplomatic relations with Oman.

Ambassadors Ermal Muca of Albania, Ramil Abil oglu Rzayev of Azerbaijan, Gbolie Desire Wulfran Ipo of Côte d’Ivoire, Hreinn Palsson of Iceland, Tornike Nozadze of Georgia, and Ali Mohamed Abukar of Somalia also presented their credentials to Marcos in a ceremony at the Palace.

In his remarks, Marcos hoped that the new non-resident ambassadors to the Philippines would have a “fruitful and productive” tenure, emphasizing the need to deepen relations and expand cooperation in mutually beneficial areas.

Muca said the Philippines and Albania can expand cooperation in key areas such as trade and investment, innovation, tourism, education, people-to-people exchanges, and sustainable development and human capital growth.

Rzayev, on the other hand, stressed that Azerbaijan “highly values” its friendly ties with the Philippines, citing the two nations’ 34th year of diplomatic relations.

He emphasized the need to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, education, and cultural exchange.

He also congratulated the Philippines on its chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year and wished the government success in “advancing regional cooperation and prosperity.”

Ipo extended warm greetings and well wishes for the continued prosperity of the Filipino people, expressing confidence that the bond between Côte d’Ivoire and the Philippines will grow stronger through mutual understanding and fruitful partnership.

Palsson vowed to strengthen ties between the Philippines and Iceland by boosting people-to-people connections and expanding mutually beneficial trade ties.

He expressed hope that the two nations would seal agreements in air transport, taxation, and investment, as well as ongoing cooperation in geothermal energy.

Nozadze also noted the “steady development” of relations between the Philippines and Georgia, built on mutual respect and shared principles, as the two nations mark 34 years of diplomatic ties.

He assured Marcos of his commitment to working closely with the government to deepen dialogue and advance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including trade, education, tourism, and cultural exchange.

Abukar, on the other hand, expressed willingness to learn from the Philippines in the fields of good governance, disaster risk reduction, community development, and strengthening collaboration in rural livelihoods, education, and public health. (PNA)