Philippines, Mongolia agree to broaden bilateral cooperation
Mongolian Foreign Affairs Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. Photo from the DFA.
MANILA, Philippines — The governments of the Philippines and Mongolia have committed to broadening their bilateral cooperation in areas such as tourism, education, labor, technology, disaster risk reduction, and defense, among others.
In time for Mongolian Foreign Affairs Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg’s visit to Manila, the governments of the Philippines and Mongolia issued a joint statement on Monday, enumerating their commitments.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Battsetseg’s official visit to the Philippines came after an official invitation by Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.
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“The Secretary and the Minister reaffirmed the enduring bonds of friendship between the Philippines and Mongolia, emphasizing that bilateral ties are founded on a shared commitment to peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation,” the joint statement reads.
“They highlighted common values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights. They also stressed the importance of an open, inclusive, and rules-based international order grounded in international law, equity, and justice,” it adds.
Apart from this, the two top-ranking foreign affairs officials likewise recognized that the Philippines and Mongolia are two of the world’s fastest-growing economies. With this, they noted that the two resource-rich economies would further benefit from pursuing trade and investment synergies to expand economic cooperation.
`Bilateral cooperation’
“Both sides expressed their intent to broaden bilateral cooperation by exploring opportunities in areas such as 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,” the statement reads.
“Secretary Manalo and Minister Battsetseg welcomed the growing people-to-people ties between the Philippines and Mongolia. They reaffirmed their commitment to promoting the welfare of Filipino workers in Mongolia, including through the exploration of a bilateral labor agreement,” it emphasizes.
Both sides also recognized the importance of collective action in addressing climate change, with a focus on building resilience and prioritizing disaster risk reduction.
The Philippines, for its part, expressed its full support for Mongolia’s hosting of the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, to be held in Ulaanbaatar in 2026.
The two leaders also emphasized each country’s adherence to the United Nations Charter and reaffirmed their commitment to the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes.
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, or UNCLOS. /MR
