Secretary Locsin Leads PH’s First Foray in Munich Security Conference
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. (center) with (from left) Chargé d’Affaires Lillibeth V. Pono, Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Ma. Amelita C. Aquino, Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega, and Minister and Legal Adviser Ma. Angela Ponce. (Berlin PE photo)
MUNICH 21 February 2019 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. attended the 55th Munich Security Conference held in Germany’s federal state of Bavaria from 15 to 17 February 2019.
It was the first time the Philippines participated in the premier global platform for dialogue and debate on international security issues.
Secretary Locsin was one of around 50 foreign ministers attending the forum, alongside some 35 heads of state and government and 30 defense ministers.
The Secretary delivered stakeholder inputs at the transnational security roundtable discussion “The Smuggle is Real: New Impulses for Countering Illicit Flows” alongside Kenyan Foreign Minister Monica Juma, Europol Executive Director Catherine de Bolle, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan.
“Our counter-terrorism efforts will remain anchored on respect for human rights and the rule of law. And always with this in mind: that a state’s first, and foremost, and overriding responsibility is to protect the law-abiding against the lawless; and the innocent against those who threaten their safety and wellbeing. To that responsibility my President has made an iron, unwavering and total commitment” Secretary Locsin said.
He also attended the plenary discussions, which featured German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, and Romanian President and EU Council President Klaus Iohannis among the speakers.
On the sidelines, he had bilateral meetings with Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Secretary Locsin was joined in Munich by Officer in Charge of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Office of the Undersecretary for Administration Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Ma. Amelita C. Aquino, Philippine Embassy in Berlin Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Lillibeth V. Pono, Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York Minister and Legal Adviser Ma. Angela Ponce, DFA Office for European Affairs Director for Central Europe Indhira Bañares, and Protocol Officer Alfredo Labrador V.
“That we’re taking part in this forum for the first time in more than half a century is a clear signal of our desire to engage closely with Germany and other partners to come up with viable solutions to pressing security concerns,” Chargé d’Affaires Pono, who coordinated the Philippine participation in the conference with her team at the Embassy, said. END
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. discusses bilateral cooperation with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Aidarbekov. (Berlin PE photo)
For more information, visit www.berlinpe.dfa.gov.ph, www.philippine-embassy.de or https://www.facebook.com/PHinGermany.