PRESIDENT Duterte on January 17 welcomed the newly appointed ambassadors of South Korea, Tanzania and Serbia to the Philippines as he received their credentials at the Malacañan Palace.
Han Dong-man, who previously served as South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General for International Economic Affairs, is the new envoy of South Korea to the Philippines.
Ambassador Han has more than 30 years of experience in representing South Korea in the areas of policy planning, trade issues and public relations. He has held executive positions in the Korean embassies in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Algeria.
Han’s spouse Jang Sook-yung, Minister and Consul General Kwon Won-jik, Minister Counselors Park Young-hyo and Kyun Jong-ho, First Secretary Song Areum and Second Secretary Lim Jeong-sub were also in the conferment.
Duterte also received the credentials of Tanzania’s new Ambassador to the Philippines Ramadhani Kitwana-Dau.
Before his new post as envoy to the country, Dau was Tanzania’s diplomat to Malaysia and was his country’s National Social Security Fund director general.
Meanwhile, Serbia has assigned Slobodan Marinković as its new envoy to the Philippines. Previously, he served as ambassador to Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia and Singapore.
Marinkovic was also appointed as the ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Asean. He also worked as a medical professor at Evropski Univerzitet in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was with his wife Mira and Serbia’s Honorary Consul Joaquin Rodriguez during his presentation of credentials.
All three new envoys expressed their positive outlook toward the Philippines and told Duterte that they are willing to work with the government for stronger ties.
He said that South Korea, Tanzania and Serbia are welcomed as good allies of the country, then also noted that the Philippines is open to mutual and good working bilateral relations with the three countries.
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano and Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque Jr. joined the President’s conferments.
Prior to the presentation of their credentials to the President, the three new ambassadors to the country were accorded with arrival honors at the Kalayaan Grounds followed by the signing of the guest book at the President’s Hall Ante Room.
Image credits: Simeon Celi Jr. and King Rodriguez /Presidential Photo