Remarks of Dr. Alberto G. Romulo
Secretary of Foreign Affairs 

On the Occasion of the Farewell Luncheon in Honor of 

H. E. Saber Abdel Kader Mansour
Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Philippines

Ilustrado Restaurant, Intramuros
16 August 2006

His Excellency Ambassador Mansour;
Distinguished guests;
Excellencies;
Friends: 

Thank you for joining us today as we thank and bid goodbye to a dear friend Ambassador Saber Abdel Kader Mansour. 

For the last four years, he has worked diligently and tirelessly for the expansion of Philippines-Egypt bilateral relations, 

The Philippines and Egypt signed a Treaty of Friendship in 1955 and have remained good friends for fifty-one years. 

Your Excellency, during your tour of duty you constantly strove to deepen this friendship by building on previous agreements and programs.  

You also explored other areas of cooperation between our two countries and our two peoples.  

Bilateral consultations between our Foreign Ministries were held on a regular basis, resulting in numerous concrete initiatives that continue to benefit our countries.  In particular, the 4^th RP-Egypt Bilateral Consultations held in Manila last April 2006 served as a venue for the exchange of Instruments of Ratification of the 1998 Philippines-Egypt Trade Agreement, enabling its entry into force. 

I am confident this positive development will further spur bilateral trade between Egypt and the Philippines.   Already, our bilateral trade last year has more than tripled the figures of five years ago, around the time you arrived.  

Through Your Excellency, I also wish to thank the Egyptian government for the friendship and care accorded to the nearly 5,000 Filipino nationals in Egypt.     

Education is another area of collaboration we continuously focus on. 

Over 500 Filipino Muslim students have greatly benefited from your government’s scholarship grants to Al Azhar University and other prestigious institutions for higher learning, as well as from the visits by Egypt’s leading Islamic professors to Mindanao.  

Egypt has also granted a number of scholarships to agricultural experts and employees for further studies and training in agriculture and related fields in Cairo. 

I welcome the development of mechanisms for further cooperation between universities in Cairo and in Mindanao.  We believe that greater educational and cultural cooperation can only lead to unity and harmony, consistent with the Philippines’ interfaith dialogue initiative. 

It is in this sense that I hope that the Grand Imam of Al Azhar University, who is well- respected  all over the Islamic world, His Eminence Sheik Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, will consider visiting the Philippines the next time he travels to Southeast Asia. 

With this, I wish to reiterate the Philippines’ appreciation for Egypt’s understanding of our quest to foster peace among all peoples and your support, which has been consistent, for our Observer Status bid in the Organization of the Islamic Conference. 

High-level official visits have also undoubtedly strengthened our relations, and I look forward to visiting Cairo soon, upon the gracious invitation of Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.  

Truly, Philippines-Egypt bilateral relations have become more dynamic, and for this, we are truly grateful for Ambassador Mansour’s significant contributions. 

I wish you all the best in your new assignment back home and I hope to work with you soon. 

On this note, may I invite everyone to join me in a toast 

• to the good health and success of our good friend, His Excellency Ambassador Saber Abdel Kader Mansour; and 

• to the enduring friendship and cooperation between the Philippines and Egypt.

Mabuhay!
 
 

/jay

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