DAVAO CITY—Foreign dignitaries from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Taiwan visited President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on Monday at the Malacañang of the South in Panacan, Davao City.
One of them, United Kingdom Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad said on Twitter he was able to meet 10 incoming Cabinet secretaries and discuss the priorities of the Duterte administration’s eight-point economic agenda.
On that aspect, Ahmad said the UK Offered how it can “contribute its expertise” on science and innovation, reproductive health and other aspects of the economic agenda.
“After meeting 10 of the incoming Cabinet members, we had a good basis for discussing @RRD_Davao priorities,” Ahmad said.
“The 10 point economic plan by @RRD_Davao administration gives the UK the chance to contribute its expertise,” he added.
“We share common goals in regional security and a rules-based global system with @RRD_Davao.”
Manila Economic and Cultural Office head Dr. Gary Sing Huann-Lin meanwhile, said that Taiwan will inject new investments in the country under a Duterte presidency.
“I came here to renew our friendship with community leader on one hand and on the other hand, we also came here to explore the possibility of further enhancement of our bilateral relations between our new government and also your new government,” Huann-Lin said.
“Our new government under President Dr. Tsai Ing-wen said that new policies which are very beneficial to Filipino people will be laid out in the future,” he added.
Duterte also met with US Ambassador to the Philippines Philipp Goldberg and German Ambassador to the Philippines Thomas Ossowski. Details of the visits have yet to be released.
The visit of the three ambassadors was seen as a welcome development for foreign relations under the new administration after the 71-year-old firebrand stirred controversy when he made brash remarks against the international community.
Duterte once told Goldberg and Australian ambassador Amanda Gorely to “shut their mouths,” and threatened to cut ties with the US and Australia after their top diplomats criticized his joke about the jailhouse rape of a missionary, weeks before the presidential elections.