Marcos off to Abu Dhabi to boost trade, defense ties
President Marcos departed on Monday night for a working visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to boost trade and defense cooperation with the Middle Eastern country.
On top of his meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President is expected to witness the signing of the first free trade agreement and a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation between the two countries.
This is the second meeting between Mr. Marcos and his UAE counterpart in 14 months, reflecting the accelerating momentum in the countries’ bilateral relations, officials said.
“Before that, there had been no visit for 15 years, and then suddenly the meetings happened back-to-back. Symbolically and substantively, that carries great significance,” Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ver told state-run Radio TV Malacañang.
First free trade deal
During the President’s visit, his first overseas trip this year, Manila and Abu Dhabi will sign agreements, including the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa), which Ver said has been under negotiation for years.
“We were among the very first countries to be offered the chance to conclude this agreement, and now we are finally doing so. This shows that our relations here are also evolving,” Ver said.
The Cepa, the Philippines’ first free trade agreement with a Middle Eastern country, aims to expand the Philippine market’s access to the region.
It is expected to bolster cooperation in trade, services and investments, while providing the Philippines greater access to the wider Gulf Cooperation Council market, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, aside from the UAE.
Defense cooperation
Aside from the Cepa, a Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation is also expected to be signed during the visit. This will cover joint training, exchange of officers and information sharing.
“Because they also have highly developed defense capabilities here that we can benefit from. We likewise have a security agreement with them,” Ver said.
Manila and Abu Dhabi have existing cooperation on information sharing related to terrorism, transnational crime, illegal drugs and human trafficking.
“So our countries’ relationship is now on a different level. It is expanding into areas that were previously untapped, because our focus before was primarily on our workers. Now we can see that our relations have been elevated,” Ver said.
According to the ambassador, some of the emerging areas of cooperation include artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and the digital economy—sectors where the Philippines has growing strength and competitive advantage.
Mr. Marcos will also join other heads of states in discussions on global concerns, such as energy transition, water security, finance, food systems and environmental protection, at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. —WITH A REPORT FROM LUISA CABATO
