On the sideline of the 19th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Uganda, Mokhber met and held talks with Manalo on Saturday.

Referring to the deep-rooted ties between Iran and the Philippines and marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Mokhber described the volume of existing trade exchanges between the two sides as insufficient and called for expanding the economic exchanges by activating the private sectors and removing the barriers.

He described Iran’s capacities in the fields of medicine, medical equipment, agriculture, and petrochemicals as an appropriate platform for developing relations, adding that banking and transportation exchanges are two important challenges for economic interactions that the two countries can overcome such obstacles by creating the necessary platforms.

Mokhber also urged increased international efforts and cooperation to stop the Zionist regime’s atrocities in Gaza.

For his part, Manalo termed the positions of the two countries very close in international arenas and expressed his country’s will to develop economic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Referring to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, he stressed that the Philippines will spare no effort to stop the war and send humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

DAY/IRN