GMA to seek fresh Libyan investments in state visit

President Arroyo flew off to Libya on a mission to seek new investments, a more stable oil supply and increased support for the government’s peace initiatives in southern Philippines.

Prior to her trip to the oil-rich Mediterranean state, Mrs. Arroyo made a stopover in Brunei yesterday to attend the 60th birthday celebration of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at his palace in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Mrs. Arroyo was among the heads of state and other dignitaries invited to attend the festivities in honor of Hassanal.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the President would be fetched from Brunei at 9 a.m. today for her trip to Libya, which is expected to reinvigorate economic, trade and other bilateral relations between the two countries.

Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo will personally thank Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi for his help in trying to resolve a decades-long Muslim separatist rebellion in the southern Philippines.

Before her departure, Mrs. Arroyo announced her plans to visit the United States in September to celebrate the 60th year of the Philippines’ diplomatic ties with the US and 100th anniversary of the migration of Filipinos to Hawaii.

"The Philippine relationship with the US, I believe, has matured and grown under our administration from the depths to which it plunged when the US bases left the Philippines," she told more than 500 Filipino-Americans, Filipino-Canadians, Americans and Canadians who were joining a tour of the country organized by Philippine ambassadors and consuls general in the US and Canada.

"We believe fervently in democracy, we have sworn to uphold the rights and liberties of every Filipino," she said.

"We bring these values and our own deep personal faith in God to our governance of the Philippines and to our relationships with the US, Canada and all nations," the President said.

Mrs. Arroyo was also planning to discuss the welfare of Filipino workers in Libya and oil supplies for the Philippines, while inviting more Libyan investment, during her visit.

Libya hosted talks in 1976 between Manila and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which eventually signed a peace accord in 1996. Libya also brokered talks in 2001 with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), that paved the way for ongoing formal negotiations.

Libya also helped negotiate the release of Western tourists seized by the Abu Sayyaf from the Malaysian island resort of Sipadan and brought to Mindanao in 2000.

Ermita said the President will reiterate the country’s bid for regular observer status in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

Libya is one of the influential members of the OIC’s Committee of Eight.

Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo would also try to explore investment possibilities in the Philippines by Libya.

Libya’s Khadaffy Foundation has earlier expressed interest to form a joint venture with the National Development Company (PNOC) to establish a palm oil plantation in Liguasan Marsh, North Cotabato.

Ermita said the President’s visit would also coincide with the 30th year of the historic Tripoli Agreement signed between the government and the MNLF in December 1976, which provided the general principles for Muslim autonomy in southern Philippines.

On Monday, Mrs. Arroyo is scheduled to attend the meeting of Philippine and Libyan chambers of commerce and the Filipino migrant workers there.

She will also visit the national oil company of Libya. Like the rest of its Mediterranean neighbors, Libya is a major oil producer.

In Brunei, Arroyo will join Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thai Premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen as Hassanal’s guests at a lavish dinner for 10,000 people at his gold-decked palace in Bandar Seri Begawan to cap his day-long birthday celebration.

Hassanal, one of the world’s last absolute monarchs, has ruled the oil-rich nation for nearly four decades.

Brunei also is assisting the peace efforts in the southern Philippines by sending a small number of soldiers as part of an international ceasefire monitoring team.

After her arrival in Brunei, Mrs. Arroyo received donations from the various donors for six additional classrooms.

In simple rites, Mrs. Arroyo, who arrived at 2:30 p.m. from Manila, had a brief audience with Hassanah at the Istana Nurul Iman, the Sultan’s Palace.

The donation was for the "Classroom Galing sa Mamamayang Pilipino Abroad" project.

After her visit to Libya, the President will be back on Tuesday to prepare for her State-of-the-Nation Address on July 24. — With AP