Your Excellency, Ambassador Ibrahim Abdulrahman Al-Meghaiseeb,
Your Excellency, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps,
Excellencies of the Diplomatic Corps,
Honored Guests,
Friends:

It is my great honor and privilege to bid farewell to a distinguished member of the diplomatic corps in the Philippines who has fulfilled his responsibilities as a representative of the Government of the State of Qatar to the Republic of the Philippines.

May I congratulate you, Ambassador Al-Meghaiseeb, for being awarded the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has conferred upon you in recognition of your successful mission in Manila and your initiatives to further enhance and strengthen bilateral relations between the Philippines and Qatar during your stay here.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the efforts extended by Your Excellency in facilitating my official visit to Qatar in June 2005 during the 2nd South Summit as well as that of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael E. Seguis in December 2003 and Human Rights Commissioner Lourdes Quisumbing in 2004. Also, I would like to thank you for the first visit that I had in Qatar, when, through your efforts, I was able to use the facilities of Al-Jazeera whereby we appealed for mercy for the life of Robert Tarongoy, who eventually was released on June 21st.

I wish to thank Your Excellency for the pivotal role Your Excellency played in securing the Qatari Government’s support for the Philippine bid for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and the Philippine bid for an observer seat in the Organization of Islamic Conference.  I hope that, with your help and the help of the other member-states of the OIC, eventually the Philippines will earn an observer seat in the OIC.

The ease with which Your Excellency was able to accomplish such tasks is a good indication of the high level of our bilateral relations.
 
Indeed, the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the State of Qatar, which were established on 05 May 1981, 24 years ago, have grown in every aspect – political, economic and cultural - during the recent years.  Trade relations between the Philippines and Qatar have improved, registering a 31% increase from 2003’s total trade of US$132 million. Negotiations of bilateral agreements namely, the Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Investment Agreement, which are now all ready for signing, were also actively pursued. Qatar’s initiative of forging cooperation in the fields of tourism and health is now under consideration. I fervently hope that despite the end of Your Excellency’s tour of duty, the efforts to conclude these pending agreements and initiatives would continue, particularly the holding of the 1st RP-Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission for Bilateral Cooperation which would further intensify our bilateral relations.

In addition, while we may be losing a peer in the Diplomatic Corps, we feel confident that we are gaining a friend in Qatar.

On behalf of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, I wish to convey to Ambassador Al-Meghaiseeb my profound congratulations on his very successful tour and mission as Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Philippines. I also wish you good luck in the new assignment that your government will give you upon your return to Qatar.

May I now request your Excellencies and the distinguished guests to join me in a toast to Ambassador Al-Meghaiseeb’s continued good health and success in all his future endeavors.

Thank you and Mabuhay!