Ambassador Tiglao and Alternate Foreign Minister Droutsas

Ambassador Rigoberto D. Tiglao met just before with Christmas with Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris P. Droutsas  at his office at the mainForeign Ministry building to discuss Philippine-Greece bilateral relations.

The ambassador briefed Alternate Foreign Minister Droutsas on Philippine-Greece relations as well as  the Embassy’s immediate  concerns. This includes an early successful conclusion to  a social security agreement between the relevant insitutions of the two countries, so that Filipino workers returning to the Philippins can still claim social security benefits for which they had spent substantial amounts during their stay in Greece.  The ambassador also briefed the senior official on the strategic role of Filipino officers and seamen in Greek-owned, -flagged, or -managed merchant ships, and the emerging huge demand by Greek shipping companies for Filipino officers.

Mr.Droutsas is the highest ranking official of Ministry of Foreign Affairs following Prime Minister George Papandreou who is concurrently the Foreign Minister.  Mr.Droutsas is a ranking member of  PASOK party, which won power in the elections in October.

The ambassador noted that it was it was now Prime Minister, concurrently Foreign Minister, George Papandreou who was Alternate Foreign Minister during President Fidel Ramos’ state visit to Greece in 1993. It was then Alternate Foreign Minister who either signed or witnessed several bilateral agrements between the Philippines and Greece during Ramos’ state visit.  This included a cultural agreement which called for the creation of a Philippines-Greece Cultural Committe,which would develop greater cultural ties between the two governments.

Alternate Foreign Minister Droutsas assured the Ambassador that he will be working for closer Greece-Philppine ties and that the Foreign Ministry will be fully supportive of the Philippines and its embassy.#