President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday welcomed the new ambassadors of Norway and the Republic of Korea to the Philippines in a formal ceremony in Malacañang, as he expressed optimism over stronger relationships with the two nations.
The President first received the credentials of Norwegian envoy Kristian Netland, during which he underscored the “warm and very productive” relations between the two countries and expressed optimism about exploring new areas of cooperation.
“I think that there are many, many areas that we can continue to pursue and new areas that we can explore and develop,” Marcos said.
He emphasized the importance of the Philippines’ friendship with Norway amid an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment.
“We are happy to count Norway as a friend of the Philippines, and we look forward to all that we will do to strengthen that relationship and to make deeper the engagements between our two countries,” he said.
For his part, Netland said the Philippines and Norway have enjoyed many decades of friendship “founded on trust, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to peace, democracy, and international cooperation.”
He cited opportunities to deepen cooperation in the maritime sector, trade, investment, education, innovation, sustainable growth, and the green transition.
“Norwegian companies have been present in the Philippines for decades, contributing with expertise, technology, and jobs,” he said.
“As both our countries pursue sustainable growth and the green transition, I believe there are substantial opportunities to expand cooperation and create new partnerships that benefit our peoples,” Netland added.
The President also received Lee Dong-gy as the new ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines.
Marcos highlighted the strong and longstanding relationship between the Philippines and South Korea, as he expressed confidence that the strategic partnership between the two countries would further be enhanced during Lee’s tenure.
“As we know, the relations between our two countries have been very, very strong and very, very close for many, many years… I look forward to the work that we will do here together in the time you have here in Manila and in the Philippines as Ambassador,” the President said.
The Chief Executive was also bullish about exploring new areas of cooperation with South Korea and improving the partnership to help maintain peace and stability in the region.
The President acknowledged the close collaboration of the two countries on digital technology and shipbuilding.
For his part, Lee said the Philippines and South Korea share a longstanding friendship built on “mutual respect, shared values, and close people-to-people ties.”
He stressed that bilateral relations between the two nations have continued to expand across the political, economic, defense and security, law enforcement, and cultural fields.
He vowed to further strengthen the relationship and expand cooperation between the two nations during his tenure in the country.
Lee also conveyed South Korea’s full support to the ASEAN Chairship of the Philippines and reaffirmed South Korea’s continued engagement with ASEAN.
“As ambassador, I will devote my utmost efforts to further strengthening this important relationship and to expanding our cooperation in ways that will bring tangible benefits to both our peoples,” he said.