Your Excellency, Ambassador U Tin Htun, our honoree;
Excellencies from the Diplomatic Corps;
Colleagues;
Friends:

The road to a friend’s house is never long.

That is why, even as we bid farewell to our good friend, His Excellency Ambassador U Tin Htun today, we celebrate, knowing our friend will always be with us.

We celebrate His Excellency’s new posting, knowing he will generate and nurture goodwill and friendships in Brunei Darussalam as he did here in the Philippines.

We celebrate as well His Excellency’s accomplishments in forging warmer and closer ties between the Philippines and Myanmar.

Since establishment of diplomatic ties in 1956, relations between the Philippines and Myanmar have continued to flourish, evidenced by the level of interaction between our nations’ leaders in recent years.  I believe that next year will be the Golden Anniversary – the 50th year of diplomatic relations.

In February of this year, we were honored by the visit of General Soe Win.

Prior to General Soe Win’s visit, the ties of friendship and cooperation between our countries were already reinforced through exchanges of high-level visits.

We also held the inaugural meeting in 2004 of the Philippine-Myanmar Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation, or JCBC, in Yangon.

Positive developments have also taken place, especially in the economic field, as we together are looking into prospective ventures in the wood furniture and jewelry industries.

We look forward to expanding areas of cooperation that would mutually benefit our peoples.

On behalf of the Philippine Government and the Filipino people, I extend my sincere appreciation to Your Excellency for your contributions to advancing Philippine-Myanmar ties.  I am certain that the Philippines and Myanmar will continue to work together, along with the other ASEAN member nations, to help achieve our collective dream of a more secure, more prosperous and more peaceful region.

We all know that in Vientiane, it was the turn of Myanmar to chair the 40th ASEAN Meeting starting in July 2006, but since Myanmar decided to forego its turn for reasons explained in Vientiane, it is now the Philippines’ turn after Malaysia.

Excellency, as you leave the Philippines, take with you wonderful memories and the warm wishes of your friends.

On this note, may I invite Your Excellency, distinguished guests, Excellencies, and friends to join me in a toast:

To the continued good health and success of His Excellency Ambassador U Tin Htun; and

To the enduring friendship between the peoples of the Philippines and Myanmar!

As we say in Filipino, mabuhay!

END.