By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
MANILA – The Philippines, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), expressed interest to promote and “revitalize” its relations with Iran as the two nations mark 61 years of diplomatic ties.
During the Iranian National Day reception in Taguig City on Thursday night, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega recognized the friendly ties the two states enjoyed since 1964.
In his remarks, de Vega said the DFA looks forward to Tehran’s hosting of the next round of bilateral meeting between the governments on various areas, including on agriculture, science and technology, culture and the arts, tourism, and multilateral diplomacy.
“We are looking forward to Iran’s hosting of the next Joint Consultative Committee Meeting (JCCM) in Tehran to forward and revitalize relations,” he said.
In his speech, Iranian Ambassador to the Philippines Yousef Esmaeilzadeh said expanding relations with Asian countries, including the Philippines, is one of the “key goals” of Tehran’s foreign policy.
“We are confident that this time, we’ll continue to grow and develop across various sectors,” he added.
In November 2023, the two governments convened the 7th Iran-Philippines JCCM on Political, Economic, and Cultural Cooperation in Manila.
Prior to this, the two states signed a memorandum of understanding on science and technology cooperation, with focus on joint research and development on innovation and technology of applied sciences.
Five areas of cooperation prioritized in the 2019 deal are agriculture and biotechnology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, space technology, advanced materials, and nanotechnology.
Manila and Tehran celebrated their 61st anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations on Jan. 22, 1964. (PNA)
