AFTER attending a global climate change conference in Paris, President Benigno Aquino III arrived in Rome Tuesday morning for his first official working visit to Italy.
The Palace said the visit will provide an opportunity for both the Philippines and Italy to deepen cooperation in various areas and sustain the exchanges of high-level visits, the last of which was held in 2006.
The bilateral discussion is also expected to focus on strengthening of bilateral relations, especially in the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-Italy diplomatic partnership.
The other issues and topics that could be discussed would be the Italian government participation in the Mindanao peace process through the Italian assistance to the agrarian reform community development support program as well as the Philippines-Italy debt for development swap program.
Aquino is also scheduled to witness the signing of the air services agreement between the Philippines and Italy and this agreement will pave the way for direct commercial flights between Manila and Rome, and will greatly benefit the Filipinos and investors coming from Italy.
Aquino is also scheduled to meet with the Filipino community in Rome, a home to some 171,000 Filipino workers in Italy.
Less than a year after Pope Francis visited the Philippines last January, Aquino will also meet with the Holy Pontiff in the Vatican during a reciprocal visit on Dec. 4 where he will have a private audience with Pope Francis.
In the Vatican, the President will also witness the unveiling and the blessing of a mosaic sculpture of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, and would have an opportunity also to have a meeting with the Filipino priests and religious at the Vatican.
Aquino just concluded his attendance in the 21st Conference of the Parties for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) scheduled on November 30.