MANILA, Philippines?(UPDATE) Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki will arrive Wednesday for a two-day official visit, while Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo will be in Manila for an official visit on November 19-22, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.
Upon his arrival, Mottaki will pay a courtesy call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and will meet with his counterpart, Secretary Alberto Romulo.
The two ministers will hold a bilateral meeting to, among others, strengthen the mechanism for review of bilateral relations and to identify new areas for cooperation.
Mottaki will be joined by his spouse, Madam Tahereh Mottaki, who sits as Iran?s Director General for Women?s International Affairs and Human Rights; members of the Iranian Parliament; and other senior Iranian government officials.
On the other hand, Yeo will also make a courtesy call on President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo, as well as meet Romulo, with the view of enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation at the regional and multilateral levels.
His visit to the Philippines is auspicious as the Philippines and Singapore are commemorating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.
?The Philippines enjoys cordial diplomatic relations with Singapore, cultivated through frequent exchanges of visits by high-ranking officials. Both countries share a common vision of the importance of Asean and work closely together at Asean meetings and other international fora,? the DFA said.
In the economic front, Singapore is one of the Philippines? top trading partners. Bilateral meetings have been held at the sidelines of annual meetings such as the Asean Ministerial Meeting, the Asean Summit, the United Nations General Assembly, and Apec, among others.
While in Manila, the Singapore foreign minister will attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal Park and officiate the formal opening of the Singapore embassy at the Bonifacio Global City.
He will likewise grace the concert performance of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and two Singaporean soloists at the RCBC Plaza on November 21. The concert is part of the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Philippines-Singapore diplomatic relations.
Moreover, Yeo will speak at the 10th World Chinese Entrepreneur?s Convention (WCEC) at the SMX Convention Center on November 19-23 in Pasay City.
The WCEC is a biennial event for Chinese entrepreneurs around the globe aimed at providing a platform for the economic cooperation and exchanges, as well as establishing an economic network linking Chinese entrepreneurs worldwide. Yeo will receive the chairmanship of the WCEC, as it is Singapore?s turn to host the 11th WCEC in 2011.
Yeo has visited the Philippines on a number of occasions. He undertook an official visit on February 15, 2006 and was with the official delegation of Singapore President S. R. Nathan during the latter?s visit on February 13-16, 2007. The minister was also in Manila in July 2007 for the 40th Asean Ministerial Meeting and received from Romulo the chairmanship of the Asean Standing Committee.
