TOKYO, JAPAN – Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo met today with Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid of Maldives on the sidelines of the Munich Leaders Meeting in Tokyo to discuss the enhancement of bilateral cooperation in various fields in the lead up to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Maldives.
“Let’s aim to establish a mechanism for political consultations between our foreign ministries and to explore ways to further enhance our people-to people ties,” the Secretary remarked during their meeting.
“As archipelagos, the Philippines and Maldives share similar concerns and could cooperate in various fields, including facilitating climate change mitigation and adaptation, protecting the marine environment, and promoting sustainable tourism”, the Secretary added.
Minister Shahid expressed his appreciation for the 2,000 Filipinos who live and work in Maldives, noting their significant contributions to the Maldivian economy.
For his part, the Secretary thanked Maldives for its good treatment of Filipinos in the country.
Secretary Manalo and Minister Shahid also agreed to an exchange of visits in 2024 to mark the golden anniversary of bilateral ties.