InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
(Updated 2:29 p.m.) President Benigno Aquino III will hold a bilateral meeting on Tuesday afternoon with Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who will be visiting the Philippines for the first time.
Aquino and the Emir, who will arrive on Tuesday for a two-day state visit, are expected to discuss ways to further enhance the relations between the two countries, particularly in the areas of labor, tourism, agriculture, trade, and investments.
The Emir’s visit was upon the invitation of President Aquino.
“His Highness the Emir’s visit affirms the advancement of political and economic ties between the Philippines and Qatar,” the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs said in a separate statement. “We are looking forward to discussing ways to achieve more positive growth in the realm of trade and investment and increasing opportunities for our Filipino workers.”
The Emir and his entourage will receive full military honors upon arrival expected at around 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 2.
The Emir’s visit comes on the heels of a a 20-man Qatari business delegation and investment team who arrived in Manila last month.
Headed by Zayid Rashid Al, director for Asia and Africa Affairs, and Tarik Muslib, head legal counsel of Qatar Investment Association (QIA), the delegation was composed of representatives from various industries like steel, petroleum, mining, food and real estate. The State of Qatar has a $300-billion fund for foreign direct investments and portfolio investments allocated worldwide.
Qatar has the world's highest per capita GDP and proven reserves of oil and natural gas and tops the list of the world's richest countries by Forbes in 2010.
Besides being one of the world’s fastest growing economies, it also employs an estimated 175,000 overseas Filipino workers.
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