Manalo to meet Thai top diplomat

MANILA, Philippines —  Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will undertake his first official visit to Thailand tomorrow, upon the invitation of Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

Manalo and Sangiampongsa will hold a bilateral meeting and co-chair the Ministerial Meeting of the 6th Philippines-Thailand Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation.

The bilateral mechanism was established on March 24, 1992 to facilitate cooperation between the Philippines and Thailand.

The Philippines and Thailand are commemorating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

Meanwhile, Manalo traveled to Kuala Lumpur upon the invitation of Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan for the 8th Philippines-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting, the first since 2011, the DFA said.

Manalo will lead the meeting, which provides an opportunity to review the progress of bilateral cooperation since the last meeting in Manila in 2011.

The country’s top diplomat will also attend a reception hosted by the Philippine embassy in Malaysia to celebrate 60 years of bilateral relations.

Reconvening of the joint meeting is an operationalization of one of the commitments discussed between President Marcos and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during the twin high-level visits in 2023, the DFA said.