COPENHAGEN—Part of the 75th-anniversary festivities of formal linkages between the Philippines and Denmark, the former’s embassy in this Danish capital city hosted a reception for the diplomatic corps and the business community on September 23.
More than 100 top dignitaries—including a large gathering of ambassadors and senior diplomats of foreign embassies in Copenhagen, senior Danish officials and business executives, among others, were present to mark the occasion at the prestigious and historic Sølyst in Klampenborg.
In his speech, Ambassador Leo Herrera-Lim underscored the strong bilateral relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Denmark, as he acknowledged the two countries’ “shared vision of sustainability and commitment to green and sustainable growth that leaves no one behind.”
Herrera-Lim said that the European country is now home to close to 13,000 overseas Filipinos who positively contribute to the Danish economy in maritime, health care, construction and energy sectors.
He cited the 11.8-percent Philippine gross domestic product growth over the past quarter, and expressed optimism that the country’s economy will fully recover by the end of 2022. He thanked the Danish private sector’s role in strengthening the Philippine business industry with investments in renewable energy, manufacturing, infrastructure and shipbuilding in the country.
Director for Asia, Latin America and Oceania Thomas Lehmann, the event’s guest of honor, lauded the Philippine-Danish partnership for sustainable growth: “Green development was part of the virtual political consultations between our two countries, which took place in February…as part of the ongoing dialogue[s] between our two countries. The consultations were an occasion to discuss our prosperous commercial relations, and share our joint solutions to overcome new challenges.”
The reception culminated with a video message from Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., where he congratulated the two countries. Guests were shown a short video presentation, which featured congratulatory messages from business executives and Filipino leaders.