Rizal Hall, Malacañang
24 May 2016

President Benigno S. Aquino III, together with Foreign Affairs Secretary Rene Almendras and Chief of Presidential Protocol Celia Anna Feria, received the credentials of four new resident ambassadors to the Philippines in a ceremony held at Rizal Hall in Malacañan Palace.

They are Ambassadors-Designate Rodrigo do Amaral Souza of the Federative Republic of Brazil; Ali Ibrahim Al-Malki of the State of Qatar; Hazim Ahmed Mahmud Al-Yousifi of the Republic of Iraq; and Capaya Rodriguez Gonzalez of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

With a mere 37 days before stepping down from office, President Aquino said in his brief remarks that he trusts them to carry forward the relationship they have begun to his duly elected successor when June 30 comes.

The President mentioned the crises, challenges and uncertainties that the world faced in the past years and he noted that these may cause much worry among the people but they also represented opportunities to cooperate more fully with each other and commit to deepen relations.
“I’m hopeful that even after my time in office, our commitment to strengthening our relations will endure and that we can truly give rise to a world that is stable, just, and progressive, a world we can be proud to bequeath to future generations,” he said in closing.

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