In a letter to his Filipino counterpart Rodrigo Duterte, Hassan Rouhani congratulated the Philippines on the anniversary of gaining independence from Spain.
Hailing the growing bilateral ties between Tehran and Manila in recent years “in light of the independent and popular policies” of Duterte, the Iranian president hoped for the expansion of friendly ties in a way that serves the interests of the two nations.
Iran and the Philippines started bilateral relations in 1974.
In recent years, the two governments have ramped up efforts to enhance the political, economic and cultural ties.