News

On 24 July, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kęstutis Budrys, met with the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Theresa Lazaro, on the sidelines of an event in Manila marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. During the meeting, the Ministers discussed bilateral economic cooperation in high-value-added sectors, as well as in the areas of cybersecurity, energy, security, and defense.

During the meeting, the Minister expressed Lithuania’s interest in further deepening ties with the Philippines and emphasized the importance of a rules-based international order. The Minister also reaffirmed Lithuania’s support for the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling.

“Lithuania and the Philippines are united by a shared commitment to international law, multilateralism, and human rights. We see great potential to further strengthen our partnership and, together, contribute to building a safer, more stable, and prosperous international community,” said Budrys.

Budrys highlighted the growing contribution of Lithuanian businesses to the Philippines’ digital transformation. The Minister noted that Lithuanian companies are already implementing projects in the field of public service digitization, and that the information and communications technology sector remains one of the most promising areas for further cooperation.

The Minister invited the Philippines to join the Vilnius Convention—the first legally binding international treaty dedicated to the protection of human rights in the context of artificial intelligence.

Lithuania and the Philippines established diplomatic relations in 1991. Since 2023, the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the Republic of Korea has been accredited to the Philippines.