28-8-2023 (MANILA) James Spencer Cleverly, the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Foreign Commonwealth and Development Affairs, is scheduled to embark on an official visit to the Philippines on Tuesday.
During his visit, Cleverly will hold talks with his Philippine counterpart, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manila, to delve into the bilateral relations between the two nations.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that during Cleverly’s one-day visit to Manila, the two diplomats are expected to engage in discussions regarding critical regional issues and reiterate the strong bonds between their governments. This visit is aligned with the Philippines and the UK’s Enhanced Partnership, which was launched in November 2021.
In addition to meeting Secretary Manila, the British Foreign Minister will also confer with other high-ranking officials in the Philippine government.
This meeting in Manila follows their bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial meeting held in Jakarta, Indonesia, last month.
During his visit to Jakarta, Cleverly announced a funding commitment of up to £25 million to support the economic growth of ASEAN member states. This grant aims to reduce poverty in the region by leveraging UK expertise in trade, regulation, and financial services over the next five years.
Cleverly emphasized the UK’s collaboration with ASEAN in implementing the Plan of Action 2022 to 2026, which seeks to enhance the quality of life across the region. One of the key objectives of this plan is to ensure that girls throughout Southeast Asia have access to quality education.
This visit to Manila marks the first time since 2016 that a British Foreign Secretary has set foot in the Philippine capital.
The Philippines and the UK recently commemorated the 77th anniversary of their diplomatic relations on July 4, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
