President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday welcomed the newly designated ambassadors of Italy, India, Ireland, Finland, and the European Union (EU), aspiring to stronger relations with the countries and entities they represent.
In welcoming Italy’s Ambassador-designate Davide Giglio, President Marcos said he expects him to significantly contribute to the already dynamic relations between the Philippines and Italy, hoping the two nations could further work towards increasing and expanding their areas of cooperation.
“We all, of course, (we) are very grateful to Italy for the show of support. And we consider it not just a show of support for the Philippines, but also to the rule of law and to make it very clear that we are like-minded states,” President Marcos told Giglio, referring to the visits of Italian ships this month.
The Philippines and Italy celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2022. Last year, the trade between the Philippines and Italy reached US$1.2 billion. Italy ranks as the fourth-largest trading partner of the Philippines in the European Union, with more than 500 companies in the country with Italian equity.
India’s Ambassador-designate, Harsh Kumar Jain, also presented his credentials to the President. Marcos recognized the Philippines’ long-standing friendship with India, as he wished to reaffirm the country’s commitment to pursuing stronger political, economic, and cultural ties with the South Asian nation.
Last year, the bilateral trade between the two countries reached new heights, surpassing the $3 billion mark. The Philippine exports to India exceeded $1 billion, making India the Philippines’ 13th biggest export market in 2023.
India and the Philippines also have strong defense ties. The Department of National Defense recently approved the acquisition of a Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System (SBASMS) for the Philippine Navy through a government-to-government (G2G) deal, with the delivery of the first batch of articles under the BrahMos Missile System project, which arrived last April.
Ireland’s Ambassador-designate, Emma Hickey, Finland’s Ambassador, Saija Nurminen, and the European Union’s Ambassador, Mariomassimo Santoro, also presented their credentials to the president.
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