DAVAO CITY (August 15)– President Rodrigo Roa Duterte sets his first official visit to Israel on September 2-5, 2018, upon the invitation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The historic event would highlight the enduring friendship between Filipinos and Israelis, which began when Manuel L. Quezon opened the doors of the Philippines as a sanctuary to an estimated 1,300 Jewish refugees who were fleeing the Holocaust,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.
President Duterte and Minister Netanyahu are expected to discuss ways of expanding cooperation i the areas of labor, tourism, trade, agriculture, counterterrorism, security and law enforcement.
The President is also expected to meet with the Filipino community and also with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to discuss development cooperation and the close historical and people-to-people ties between the two nations, and with the members of the Filipino community.
After Israel, the President will also visit Jordan as part of the administration’s goal to further promote ties with the Middle East. Jian Padillo/NewsLine
