President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. formally accepted the letters of credence from four newly appointed non-resident ambassadors to the Philippines during a ceremony at Malacañang on Tuesday, August 4.
The newly designated diplomats are Ambassador Retselisitsoe Theko of Lesotho, Ambassador Reinaldo Rafael Espinal of the Dominican Republic, Ambassador Masanneh Nyuku Kinteh of The Gambia, and Ambassador Landry Mboumba of Gabon.
In his dialogue with Ambassador Theko, Marcos highlighted a desire to enhance bilateral relations with Lesotho across sectors such as education, healthcare, trade, tourism, and multilateral cooperation.
“I look forward to examining those and exploring those (areas of cooperation) with you and to find ways to bring our countries closer to the mutual benefit of all,” Marcos said.
Theko affirmed Lesotho’s commitment to these shared objectives, emphasizing that increased trade and multilateral engagement would significantly benefit both developing nations and foster their longstanding friendship.
Similarly, Marcos expressed eagerness to deepen ties with The Gambia, particularly in agriculture, tourism, and investment.
”And I hope that the sectors that you mentioned are areas that we can examine and explore to further foster the closeness and the deepening of our relationship between our two countries,” the President told the African non-resident ambassador.
The President also extended his best wishes to Ambassador Espinal, hoping his tenure would successfully elevate relations between the Philippines and the Dominican Republic.
Separately, Marcos held a courtesy meeting on Monday, August 3, with Fujita Fumitake, a member of Japan’s House of Representatives and co-representative of the Japan Innovation Party (JIP).
“Despite not being able to meet with you during our trip to Japan, you were able to come and be with us. Thank you very much. Japan has always been an important partner in the Philippine economic development ever since we have established our diplomatic relations, which has now expanded to every other areas of cooperation,” the President said.
Fujita’s visit to Manila from August 2 to 4 followed scheduling conflicts that prevented a meeting during Marcos’s state visit to Japan in May 2026.
Their discussions underscored the alignment between the JIP’s reform agenda and the Philippines-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, specifically regarding maritime defense, supply-chain resilience, and maintaining a rules-based Indo-Pacific.
The meeting coincided with the 70th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between Manila and Tokyo, as well as the 15th anniversary of their Strengthened Strategic Partnership.