Philippines President thanks Sri Lanka for assisting overseas Filipino workers amid pandemic

President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte thanked the government of Sri Lanka for its assistance to overseas Filipino workers - particularly in their repatriation - amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Office of the President (OP) said Duterte and his Sri Lankan counterpart, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had a phone conversation on June 28, where the two leaders renewed their commitment to further boost bilateral ties.

“The President thanked the Sri Lankan government for its assistance in the repatriation of Filipinos amid this pandemic and for the safe return of Filipino seafarers in the MT New Diamond that caught fire off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka in September 2020,” the OP said.

The two leaders also discussed other areas of cooperation - including security and defense, trade and investment, labor, migration, and tourism.

Duterte also conveyed the Philippines’ interest to strengthen its engagement with Sri Lanka in the United Nations on issues of common concern.

Source: CNN
-Agencies