The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippines’ efforts to strengthen its diplomatic relations are getting off to a good start, with top envoys from Indonesia and Germany set to arrive in Manila next week.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will meet Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on January 9 before meeting German Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock two days later.
In an advisory, the DFA said Manalo and Marsudi will sit down for the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), where they will talk about issues of mutual interest and consider plans for enhancing cooperation between Manila and Jakarta.
Their talk will coincide with the visit of Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Manila.
Meanwhile, Manalo will also welcome Baerbock, who will be on an official visit. It will be their second engagement since Manalo became the country’s top diplomat.
In February 2023, they also held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, where the Philippines was assured of Germany’s support to uphold the rule of law amid disputes in the West Philippine Sea as well as the enhancement of ties in the areas of climate change initiatives, renewable energy, human rights conflict, and people-to-people connections.
The DFA has not yet provided any more details about Baerbock’s upcoming visit to Manila.