The Philippines and Malaysia forged stronger ties on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, 23 September.

This, after Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, met with Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato' Sri Saifuddin Bin Abdullah to discuss the state of Philippines-Malaysia relations, and the role of ASEAN in promoting regional security.

Manalo welcomed Malaysia's interest to collaborate in the digital economy, which is among the priorities of the Philippine Government.

Malaysia ranked as the country's 10th major trading partner and 15th top investment partner last year.

Likewise, Manalo also acknowledged Malaysia's contribution to the peace process in Mindanao, adding that he looks forward to continued engagement with Malaysia in other aspects of the bilateral relations.

The two Ministers exchanged views on developments in ASEAN and expressed hope for a productive meeting during the forthcoming ASEAN Summits in Cambodia in November.

'No comment on Sabah claim'

Asked whether the Sabah claim of the Sultanate of Sulu was discussed during the meeting, the Department of Foreign Affairs told Daily Tribune that they do not have information or comment about the query.

On Thursday, Princess Jacel Kiram of the Sulu Sultanate urged the Philippine government to take action and help her family with their sultanate's claims.

Citing the recent decision of a French arbitral court, Kiram said her family is counting on the government to carry out the ruling.

Kiram is referring to a French arbitration court ruling which favored the claims of the heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu against the Malaysian government over Sabah.

Last July, the Paris Arbitration Court ordered the government of Malaysia to pay $14.92 billion to the heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu.