MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will pursue commitments to safeguard a rules-based international order and the rule of law in Munich, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) stated.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo is now in Germany to participate in the 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) on February 14-16, 2025, and will proceed to the United Kingdom to meet with partners and UK officials, the DFA confirmed.
“The Secretary’s trips aim to exchange views with several international partners on regional developments, and discuss means to further strengthen bilateral relations, including the commitment to safeguard a rules-based international order and the rule of law,” the DFA said in a news release.
Manalo will also be a lead discussant in the roundtable discussion on “Making Waves: Maritime Tensions in the Indo-Pacific” on 15 February 2025 (Saturday) at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof, the DFA revealed.
The Munich Security Conference, held annually, is a prominent forum for debate and dialogue on international security policy, and attended by Foreign Ministers, Defense Ministers, business leaders, think tanks, and civil society. Secretary Manalo last attended the 59th Munich Security Conference in 2023.
At the sidelines of the MSC, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs is also scheduled to hold several meetings with his counterparts, including Mr. Marco Antonio Rubio, Secretary of State of the United States of America, and Ms. Kaja Kallas, Vice-President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission, DFA mentioned.
From Munich, Manalo will proceed to London to hold bilateral meetings with UK officials. He will also engage the corporate network of Asia House, and have an interactive dialogue with the members of the Chatham House, DFA added.
Asia House is an independent think tank and advisory services organization which facilitates high-level dialogues between companies and governments in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East to enable political, economic, and commercial engagements.
Chatham House, on the other hand, is one of the oldest and most well-known think tanks in the world which hosts speaking engagements of prominent government leaders, publishes independent, peer-reviewed reports and research papers, and maintains a network of experts who provide in-depth commentaries on world events.
“Secretary Enrique A. Manalo’s visits come at a pivotal moment, following the Philippines' celebration of the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations with Germany last year and ahead of the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom next year,” the DFA said.
