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Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has arrived in Manila today (Thursday) as part of his three-leg visit to East Asia.

This is his first official visit to the Philippines in his role as Foreign Secretary and comes as the UK and Philippines mark 70 years of diplomatic relations this year.

The Foreign Secretary said:

It is a pleasure to be in the Philippines on my first official visit to the country as Foreign Secretary in the same year that we mark 70 years of diplomatic relations.

The British government is committed to strengthening our partnership even further and working together to tackle issues of regional and global concern as strong supporters of a rules-based international order.

During his visit, the Foreign Secretary will meet with President Benigno Aquino III to discuss the growing strategic partnership between the UK and the Philippines as global and regional challenges threaten security and prosperity, including global efforts to tackle extremism.

The Foreign Secretary’s meeting with his counterpart Secretary del Rosario will focus on enhancing bilateral cooperation on foreign and security policy issues.

He will also meet Filipino business leaders to discuss the ASEAN economic community and the opportunities and challenges in boosting trade and investment on both sides.

The Manila visit is part of a three-leg tour of Asia that includes China and Japan. It shows how the UK is continuing to play an important role on key Asian issues and is working with allies to safeguard national security, as well as building our prosperity overseas.

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