Duterte to sign 5 deals during Bahrain visit —envoy

Five agreements are expected to be sealed during President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to Bahrain, an envoy said Thursday.

“We’ve lined up five agreements. First is the establishment of the High Joint Commission, which will be the forum and the mechanism where the entire range of our relationships and other relationships between Bahrain and the Philippines will be discussed,” Malacañang's communications office quoted Philippine Ambassador to Bahrain Alfonso Ver as saying.

“We have an amendment to our double-taxation agreement. We have another amendment to our air services agreement. We have a Memorandum of Understanding between the Foreign Service Institute of the Philippines and the Diplomatic Institute of the Bahrain Foreign Ministry,” Ver added.

Also, Ver said: “In addition to that, there’s a private agreement, business investment agreement between a company in Bahrain and a company in the Philippines.”

Duterte arrived at the Bahrain International Airport early Thursday morning (Manila time) after his two-day state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two Gulf States are part of his three-nation trip to the Middle East during the Holy Week. His last stop before flying back home will be Qatar.

The President is expected to have a bilateral meeting with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the Sakhir Palace, and then signing ceremonies will follow.

On Friday, the President will then meet with representatives of Capital Club of Bahrain, a private business and social club composed of top CEOs and businessmen.

“They will listen to a presentation from our economic team on possible investments, mutual opportunities for economic exchanges, trade and investment, even tourism and the President will grace that event and hopefully meet also the eminent businessmen here in Bahrain,” Ver said.

Duterte will meet with the Filipino community in Bahrian, to be held at the Khalifa Sports Stadium.

Ver said there are around 60,000 Filipinos working and living in Bahrain. 

"They are just so anxious and excited to hear direct from him his programs, his plans for the workers here, for their welfare, for their protection, and of course, what they look forward to in the Philippines under his administration.” 

Ver said that Duterte is the first Filipino leader to visit Bahrain after eight years. —LBG, GMA News