Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo Meets with United Kingdom Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in Manila

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo (left)  with UK Foreign Secretary James Spencer Cleverly (right) at Diamond Hotel Manila on 29 August 2023.
(Photo courtesy of DFA-OPCD Maria Vanessa Ubac)

MANILA 29 August 2023 – Philippine Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo met his British counterpart, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom (UK) of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable James Spencer Cleverly, MP, on Tuesday, 29 August 2023, in Manila.

Secretary Manalo and Secretary Cleverly both affirmed the Philippines’ and UK’s commitment to elevate their Enhanced Partnership, launched in November 2021.  The two countries are working together to reinvigorate relations through various forms of cooperation on several priority areas such as trade and investment, climate action, defense, maritime, and high-level political exchanges.

The two Foreign Secretaries also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern. Secretary Manalo thanked the UK for advocating a rules-based international order and supporting the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.  After their meeting, the two Secretaries signed a declaration expressing the Philippines and the UK’s intent to develop a Framework Agreement that would further define the scope of bilateral cooperation under the Enhanced Partnership. END