Dutch foreign minister visits Manila

MANILA, Philippines — Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Hanke Bruins Slot is in Manila for an official visit, the first in more than three decades, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. 

Slot will meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo today to discuss Philippines-Netherlands bilateral relations and exchange views on regional matters of mutual concern.  

Her arrival marks the first time that a Dutch foreign minister visited the Philippines in more than three decades. The two countries celebrate the 72nd anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.  

The Philippines and the Netherlands enjoy long-standing relations across different sectors, with consular connections predating even the Philippine Republic when the first Dutch consulate was established in Manila in 1886.