PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary’s meeting with Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs Manalo [August 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 August 2023.
The Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, met Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo during a visit to Philippines on 29 August.
The Foreign Secretary met Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo in Manila today (29 August) to sign a Statement of Intent on the UK-Philippines Enhanced Partnership. The Enhanced Partnership will drive co-operation on maritime security, renewable energy and trade.
The Foreign Secretary reiterated the UK’s commitment to ASEAN stability and prosperity, and thanked Foreign Minister Manalo for the Philippines’s support for the UK’s Dialogue Partnership. The Foreign Secretary expressed the UK’s strong support for ASEAN’s effort on Myanmar.
The foreign ministers also discussed key regional issues of mutual concern, including regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. On maritime security, the Foreign Secretary stressed the importance of upholding the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
On Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Foreign Secretary agreed with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Manalo that any negotiated settlement should deliver a just and sustainable peace, based on the principles of the UN Charter.
