BEIRUT - H.E. Ambassador Raymond R. Balatbat paid a courtesy visit on H.E. Nasser Yassin, Lebanese Minister of Environment on 18 September 2023 to discuss possible areas of environmental cooperation and the Philippines’ celebration of Maritime and Archipelagic Nations Awareness Month (MANA Mo) this September.

H.E. Raymond R. Balatbat (right) pays a courtesy visit to H.E. Nasser Yassin (left), Minister of Environment of the Lebanese Republic.

Ambassador Balatbat expressed the Philippine Embassy’s interest in partnering with the Lebanese government in areas of environmental cooperation. He emphasized the shared values of the Philippines and Lebanon in protecting the coastal and marine ecosystems.

Minister Yassin graciously received the Ambassador and expressed his interest in discussing further bilateral environment cooperation programs with the Philippines, especially in the field of marine biodiversity and fisheries management. He also committed to supporting the Philippines in multilateral fora tackling environmental issues of mutual concerns.

 Ambassador Balatbat and Minister Yassin discussed possible areas of bilateral and multilateral cooperation on issues concerning the environment, in line with the MANA Mo celebration

During the call, the Ambassador mentioned the Philippine Embassy’s participation in the Sustainable Waste Intercity Marathon’s (SWIM) coastal clean-up initiatives which the Minister appreciated and supported. In addition, the Ambassador extended the invitation to Minister Yassin as a guest of honor during the opening ceremony of the Embassy’s MANA Mo exhibit on 29 September 2023.

The Philippine Embassy seeks to deepen its relations with Lebanon by expanding its dialogue with the Lebanese government on various areas of cooperation such as environmental protection.

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