Philippine Ambassador Presents Letter of Credence as Permanent Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
The Philippine Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria Mr. Mersole J. Mellejor presented his Letter of Credence signed by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo, designating him as Philippine Permanent Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, in a ceremony held at the ECOWAS Secretariat in the Nigerian capital Abuja on 16 June 2025.
This is the first time that the Philippines has an accredited permanent representative to the ECOWAS since its establishment under the Treaty of Lagos in May 1975.
While the Philippines is not an ECOWAS member, having a permanent representative is a welcome development allowing attendance in ECOWAS meetings/activities, which offer good networking opportunities and more visibility for the country in line with its thrust for a more focused engagement with Africa.
ECOWAS was formed in 1975 originally by 15 countries in Western Africa: namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sénégal and Togo. Cabo Verde joined in 1977. Mauritania withdrew in December 2000 but subsequently signed an associate-membership agreement in August 2017. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdrew on 29 January 2025 following the establishment of military rule in these countries, which is deemed contrary to ECOWAS principles. At present, ECOWAS has 12 members.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
5 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE President calls Iranian President, affirms commitment to de-escalate tension
President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed UAE's solidarity with Iran and its people in light of the recent Israeli military strikes targeting Iran. Sheikh Mohamed emphasised the UAE's commitment to supporting de-escalation efforts and reducing regional tensions. The remarks came during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in which both leaders discussed the serious implications of the escalating conflict on regional peace and security. Sheikh Mohamed stressed that the UAE is actively engaged in diplomatic consultations with key stakeholders to help calm the situation and avoid further instability. He reaffirmed the UAE's support for any steps that contribute to restoring calm and promoting dialogue. The call underscores the UAE's broader regional approach of prioritising diplomacy and peaceful resolution of conflicts amid growing concerns over a widening confrontation in the middle east.
Khaleej Times
8 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Dubai: 18 Filipinos stranded at DXB repatriated home amid Israel-Iran conflict
The Philippine government has successfully repatriated 18 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were stranded at Dubai International Airport. They arrived on June 13 and were supposed to be on their way to work in Israel and Jordan but were stranded in Dubai due to the temporary shutdown of major airports amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. Philippine labour attache John Rio Aceveda Bautista told Khaleej Times on Tuesday the OFWs arrived on Friday and were repatriated on June 15. Fifteen of the repatriated OFWs were returning workers to Israel, while three were newly hired workers bound to Jordan. After arriving in Manila on Monday, they were temporarily housed at a hotel, according to the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). DMW secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said each OFW received Ph50,000 (Dh3,335) in financial assistance. 'This is not simply aid but a safety net as they have temporarily lost their source of income,' said Cacdac, adding the OFWs will also receive transportation allowance back to their respective home provinces. Meanwhile, Eduardo de Vega, undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the security threat in Israel is classified by the Philippine government as under alert level 2, meaning there are heightened risks to safety and security. 'Mandatory repatriation is based on alert levels,' Cacdac noted. 'We are still coordinating with the DFA and DND (Department of National Defence) on this. But rest assured, we are ready if the situation worsens.' Cacdac said there are about 30,000 OFWs – mostly employed in caregiving, agriculture, hospitality, and manufacturing – in Israel. 'It it is difficult to determine how many are in immediate danger without causing unnecessary alarm,' he added. There are approximately more than 1,000 Filipinos in Iran. DFA said there are contingency plans for a possible evacuation route through Turkmenistan. Philippine officials reminded OFWs to monitor official channels for updates and to follow local advisories. After Israel launched strikes on Iran in Friday, several countries, including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel have closed their airspaces for commercial flights. UAE-based airlines immediately announced that customers connecting through UAE with final destinations in Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon would not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice.
Zawya
9 hours ago
- Zawya
Philippine Ambassador Presents Letter of Credence as Permanent Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
The Philippine Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria Mr. Mersole J. Mellejor presented his Letter of Credence signed by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo, designating him as Philippine Permanent Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, in a ceremony held at the ECOWAS Secretariat in the Nigerian capital Abuja on 16 June 2025. This is the first time that the Philippines has an accredited permanent representative to the ECOWAS since its establishment under the Treaty of Lagos in May 1975. While the Philippines is not an ECOWAS member, having a permanent representative is a welcome development allowing attendance in ECOWAS meetings/activities, which offer good networking opportunities and more visibility for the country in line with its thrust for a more focused engagement with Africa. ECOWAS was formed in 1975 originally by 15 countries in Western Africa: namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sénégal and Togo. Cabo Verde joined in 1977. Mauritania withdrew in December 2000 but subsequently signed an associate-membership agreement in August 2017. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdrew on 29 January 2025 following the establishment of military rule in these countries, which is deemed contrary to ECOWAS principles. At present, ECOWAS has 12 members. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.
