Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo will meet his counterpart British Foreign Secretary James Spencer Cleverly when the latter arrives today in Manila.
The DFA said the two officials are expected to discuss the Philippines-United Kingdom (PH-UK) bilateral relations and exchange views on pressing regional issues.
“During this one-day visit to Manila, the British Foreign Secretary will also be calling on other high-level officials of the Philippine government,” the DFA said, in a statement.
“The visit is anticipated to reaffirm PH-UK ties and demonstrate mutually strong cooperation between the two governments, in line with the PH-UK Enhanced Partnership which was launched in November 2021,” it added.
This came after their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meeting in Jakarta last July.
Cleverly’s visit will be the first time since 2016 that a British Foreign Secretary has set foot in Manila.
The Philippines and the United Kingdom celebrated their 77th anniversary of diplomatic relations last July 2, 2023.