Iran invites Duterte to visit Middle East nation

Iran’s government has invited President Rodrigo Duterte to visit the Middle East country, Malacañang said Friday.

The Palace said the invitation was relayed by Iran’s new Ambassador to the Philippines Alireza Tootoonchian, who presented his credentials to Duterte during a video conference call.

“Ambassador Tootoonchian... conveyed the best wishes of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his invitation for the President to visit Iran at the earliest opportunity,” the Palace said through the Office of the Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs.

“He also stated that the Philippines enjoys a special standing in Iran because of the country’s independent foreign policy, particularly under President Duterte, and its advocacy for peaceful co-existence among peoples of different faiths.”

Duterte, meanwhile, thanked Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for pardoning a Filipino who was detained in Iran.

The President expressed hope for “stronger bilateral ties, particularly in science and technology and people-to- people exchanges” in the years ahead.

Duterte also received the credentials of the new ambassadors of the State of Palestine, New Zealand, Canada and Vietnam.

In his remarks, Duterte told Ambassador Saleh Asad Saleh Fhied Mohammad that Palestine’s decision to reopen its embassy marked a new chapter in bilateral relations, which hopefully will lead to fruitful engagement in various areas of mutual interest.

New Zealand’s Ambassador Peter Francis Tavita Kell vowed to strengthen relations between the two countries during his tour of duty.

For his part, Duterte said the Philippines seeks to pursue cooperation with New Zealand in geothermal energy development and deepen engagement in defense and security, especially in maritime security and combating terrorism and transnational crimes.

Duterte told Canada’s Ambassador James Peter MacArthur that the Philippines aims for more robust and wide-ranging cooperation with regard to the fight against COVID-19, trade and investments, maritime security and marine environmental protection, development issues, agriculture, and education.

The President pushed for continuing cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam in promoting peace and security in the region.

“We count on Vietnam’s continued support for our advocacy for the rule of law, peaceful resolution of disputes, and keeping the global commons – particularly in our region’s maritime space – free and open," he told Vietnam’s Ambassador Hoang Huy Chung.

He also reaffirmed the Philippines’ readiness to enhance cooperation with Vietnam, bilaterally and through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and speed up the economic recovery.

The presentation of credentials ceremony was held virtually for the first time due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Also on Friday, Duterte congratulated via telephone call India’s outgoing Ambassador Jaideep Mazumdar for deepening cooperation between Manila and New Delhi during his three-year stint in the Philippines.

The President met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Manila in 2017 during the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship. Duterte undertook an official visit to India in 2018 and received India’s President Ram Nath Kovind during a state visit to the Philippines last year.

He also thanked Mazumdar for providing assistance to Filipino pediatric liver transplant patients seeking affordable transplant procedures in India.

Mazumdar has been appointed as India’s next ambassador to Austria. -NB, GMA News