Manila, May 20 (AseanAll) — Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique A. Manalo met with visiting Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh at the Department of Foreign Affairs on May 19, 2025.
In their meeting, Manalo reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to enhancing bilateral relations with Mongolia.
“Our relations are anchored in our similar experiences, our shared values, and our common aspirations,” Secretary Manalo told the visiting Foreign Minister. “As proud and free peoples, our two countries are determined to chart our paths as sovereign states with our own strategic agencies.”
“Our independent foreign policy resonates with your ‘third neighbor’ policy,” he said, referencing Mongolia’s policy of strengthening the country’s foreign relations beyond its immediate neighborhood.
Manalo responded positively to Mongolia’s request for Philippine assistance in the areas of English language training and regional development policies. He announced that the Technical Cooperation Council (TCCP) will organize a pilot program for Mongolian students to study English in the Philippines.
During the bilateral meeting, the two sides committed to pursue cooperation in a wide range of areas, including trade and investment, food security, tourism, educational and labor exchange and outsourcing, culture and sports, science, technology and innovation (STI), disaster risk reduction, defense, counterterrorism, air services, and countering transnational crime.
Manalo and Battsetseg adopted the first bilateral Philippines-Mongolia joint statement since 2000.
Beyond bilateral relations, they also discussed international developments and promoted multilateralism, emphasizing adherence to the UN Charter and to the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes, and international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS.
“Recognizing the critical importance of freedom of navigation and transit to economic growth and security, both sides reaffirmed support for the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the joint statement also reads.
The joint statement also noted the Philippines’ candidature for the UN Security Council in 2027-2028. Manalo assured Battsetseg that the Philippines will be a trusted partner, pathfinder, and peacemaker in the Security Council.
Battsetseg’s trip marks the first official visit by a Mongolian Foreign Minister to the Philippines since 1984 and reciprocates the official visit undertaken by Secretary Manalo to Ulaanbaatar last year, which was the first such visit by a Philippine Foreign Secretary to Mongolia.
During her visit, Battsetseg paid a courtesy call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and met with Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac. She is also scheduled to meet with Senate President Francis Joseph G. Escudero.
