UAE bestows Philippine envoy with top ambassador award → BusinessMirror

ABU DHABI – Ambassador Hjayceelyn M. Quintana received the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Order of Independence, First Class, from the President of the Gulf nation, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, UAE Minister of State, presented Quintana with the highest award for a special envoy who has served in the country at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on December 21, 2022. The award is in recognition of the ambassador’s efforts and contributions in fostering closer ties between the Philippines and the UAE and expanding bilateral cooperation into new areas.

On behalf of the UAE government, Al Sayegh expressed his deep appreciation and warm congratulations to Quintana for his extensive efforts to build a robust and vibrant relationship between the two countries. The minister praised her contribution to the strong presence of the Philippines at the Dubai Expo, where the Philippines signed a commitment with the UAE to sign a comprehensive economic partnership agreement that is currently being negotiated.

“My main goal in bringing the relationship closer is for both sides to discover the intrinsic value of working together towards a common goal, which is to provide a better life for the next generation of Filipinos and Emiratis,” Quintana said. “I thank [UAE] Leaders…share this vision, and it shows in the support and recognition they give. “

During her four-year tenure, the Philippines-UAE relationship expanded further with the signing of bilateral treaties on consular cooperation, agriculture, investment protection and promotion, and space cooperation.

She also initiated negotiations on artificial intelligence and advanced technology, oversaw bilateral meetings on ending human trafficking and labor cooperation, was responsible for resuming the deployment of Filipino domestic service personnel to the UAE, and led to the opening of the Office of the Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché in the UAE . Abu Dhabi and a closer partnership with the UAE-based defense group EDGE.