Manila, August 5 (AseanAll) — Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on August 4, 2026 welcomed in Malacañang the non-resident ambassadors of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Dominican Republic, Republic of The Gambia, and Gabonese Republic, as he expressed hope to forge stronger relations with the nations they represent.
Among those who presented their letters of credence were Ambassadors-Designate Retselisitsoe Theko, Kingdom of Lesotho; Reinaldo Rafael Espinal, Dominican Republic; Masanneh Nyuku Kinteh, Republic of The Gambia; and Landry Mboumba, Gabonese Republic.
In receiving Ambassador Theko, Marcos said he looks forward to expanding cooperation with the South African kingdom in education, technical training, healthcare, skills development, trade, investment, 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.
Ambassador Theko, for his part, said the Philippines and Lesotho share a commitment to implement international cooperation, peaceful development and the advancement of their people.
Lesotho, he said, sees potential for closer engagement in trade, investment, tourism and multilateral cooperation, and advancing the shared interests of developing countries.
As ambassador, he promised to work diligently to deepen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and to promote partnership that brings tangible benefit to both nations.
The President likewise expressed hope to work closely with the Republic of the Gambia to deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest, particularly in agriculture, education, trade, tourism, and investment.
“It is a great honor and pleasure to receive your Letter of Credence, particularly your assumption as Ambassador of the Republic of Gambia to the Republic of the Philippines,” the President told the African non-resident ambassador.
“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.”
In welcoming the Dominican Republic ambassador, President Marcos said he hopes the tenure of Ambassador Espinal in the Philippines would be fruitful and productive for the benefit of the two nations.
