Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo has welcomed his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who expressed confidence in the stronger Philippines-United Arab Emirates relations in the coming years, during his two-day visit to Manila.
The two diplomats noted Manila and Abu Dhabi's ties, which they said are at its "highest point" since its establishment 50 years ago.
"PH-UAE relations have significantly grown in breadth and coverage in recent years, especially with the conclusion of agreements on various matters, including space cooperation, investment protection and promotion, agriculture, and climate change," the Department of Foreign Affairs noted.
Abdullah was in Manila from June 3 to 4 in a trip that also included paying a courtesy visit to President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
In a post on X, Manalo said they discussed enhanced cooperation that can be done through greater trade and investment, humanitarian assistance, and people to people exchanges.
"I had a productive dialogue today with UAE Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues," Manalo said.
Manalo also "noted the continuous high-level exchanges between the two countries to discuss a plethora of matters such as investments, renewable energy, tourism and transportation," according to DFA.
"Noting the robust exchanges between the two countries, the UAE Foreign Minister expressed his confidence that much more can be done in the coming years," it added.