President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday acknowledged outgoing Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss’ important role in improving relations between the Philippines and Israel.

The Presidential Communications Office, in its official Facebook page, shared several photos of Marcos’ meeting with Fluss at Malacañan Palace in Manila.

During the farewell call, Marcos thanked Fluss for his efforts to enhance the two nations’ ties.

“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. received outgoing Israeli Ambassador HE Ilan Fluss in a farewell call, thanking him for his contributions to strengthening Philippines-Israel bilateral relations,” the PCO said in a statement.

Fluss, a seasoned diplomat with a diverse career, was appointed ambassador to the Philippines in 2021.

Since he joined the foreign service in 1994, Fluss represented Israel in various roles at the Israeli embassies in Manila, the Netherlands, South Africa, as well as at the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations in New York.

Fluss also represented Israel in Bahrain from 2016 to 2018, as part of a special operation.

He also worked as Israel’s director for policy planning and external relations and deputy head of the agency for international development cooperation, MASHAV, from 2009 to 2016.

From 2018 to 2021, Fluss served as the deputy head of the economic division at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (PNA)