Duterte, Sri Lanka leader witness signing of 5 agreements
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte and Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Wednesday witnessed the signing of five bilateral agreements at Malacañang Palace, including cooperation on defense, agriculture, education, and tourism.
The two leaders witnessed the signing of the following Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs):
1. A training exchange and military education agreement between the Department of National Defense and the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka.
2. An agriculture and fisheries agreement.
3. An academic cooperation agreement between the Commission on Higher Education and the Sri Lankan Ministry of City Planning, Water Supply, and Higher Education.
4. An agreement between the Department of Tourism and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs.
5. An agreement between the University of the Philippines Los Baños and the Sri Lanka Council for Agriculture Research Policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development (MAREALIFARD).
In his message, Mr. Duterte said that in his meeting with the Sri Lankan President, both countries “resolved to further strengthen their engagement in trade, defense, agriculture, and tourism, education, cultural and people-to-people exchanges.”
He added that they “both recognized that the proliferation of illegal drugs is a threat to our nations and peoples and to the very fabric of [our] growing societies.”
“I said this before and let me say it again: The Philippines’ destiny is in Asia. Sri Lanka’s destiny is also in Asia. Asia’s destiny lies among Asians,” Mr. Duterte added. —