FRIENDSHIP: THE CORNERSTONE OF PHILIPPINE DIPLOMACY

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

 For the “Pagdiriwang Para Sa Magkakaibigan” Of the Department of Foreign Affairs

 Bulwagang Apolinario Mabini, DFA 
24 November 2006

Excellencies,
Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
My Colleagues in Government,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, distinguished guests, we are delighted that you have come to celebrate a special event with us.

We are here to hold a celebration of friendship between our nations, and friendship has been the cornerstone of Philippine diplomacy since our independence in 1946.

In this very special spirit, the Philippines is happy to commemorate 30 years of warm relations with Vietnam, Gabon, the Kingdom of Jordan, Libya, Sudan, Senegal, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and-the Russian Federation and four decades of close friendship with New Zealand.

The Philippines is equally elated with 50 golden years of amity with Japan, Myanmar and Switzerland.

We celebrate 60 years of firm friendship with Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon, Liberia, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Syria, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay.

It is significant that the nations represented here hail from every region and hemisphere of the globe. Philippine friendships, which have grown and deepened over the years, now span the world as does the Filipino People.

Our bilateral friendships infuse our joint activities in regional and international organizations. This is evident in the United Nations, APEC, ASEAN, ASEM, FEALAC, the EAS, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of 77 and others where, together, we strive to promote global peace and progress.

May I also observe that our close ties with your countries have diversified and matured in many other respects. We have moved far from the tradition of closed cabinet diplomacy of previous centuries. We have resorted to all manner of international exchange.

Today, our nations enjoy many opportunities for direct people-to-people contact. Our legislators conduct parliamentary diplomacy. We enjoy sports, cultural, culinary, artistic, sister-city, and inter-faith dialogues that deepen our mutual understanding.

This, too, we celebrate today. We have organized for you a photo exhibit of our relations, thanks to the efforts of many of your Embassies, the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), private collectors and art experts.

In addition, we are happy to provide a musical presentation, without which no Filipino festivity would be complete.

We have, for your pleasure, our very own DFA Chorale and DFA Anklung – or bamboo instrument – ensemble, who will perform songs from around the world.

Friendship should be the inspiration and the motive force of our diplomacy. We must set aside the ancient enmities and suspicions of days gone by. We must band together in hope and commitment to build a new and better age for ourselves, our children, and our children's children. As Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, once said: "The world is round so friendship may circle it."

Let me now close with a simple wish that we remain – amigos para siempre – friends forever.

Mabuhay!  END

/epa

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