Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to Saudi Arabia is a milestone in the Saudi-Philippine relations, said minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid A. Al-Falih.
Pointing to the high status of far East Asia in economic and geopolitical equations of the world, Al-Falih emphasized: “If we want to have a bigger economic role in the world, we have to pay more attention to East Asia region and its vast resources and expand the scope of our activities there.”
The energy minister touched on the Philippine president’s visit to Saudi Arabia saying that during the meeting between King Salman and Philippine president, the Filipino side offered his proposal to the Saudi king to invest in oil exploration projects in Spartly Island in the South China Sea. According to Al-Falih, after the meeting, King Salman ordered that Aramco consider investments in the region.
Khalid A. Al-Falih expressed hope that the plan would be materialized soon, describing it “a giant move” which would bring great economic and political benefits for the kingdom and lead to enhancement of relations with the Philippines and other East Asian nations.
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