Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Tuesday welcomed her counterpart, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, who is currently on a two-day official visit in the Philippines.

In a joint press conference, Manalo said Fajon’s visit to Manila – a first for a foreign minister of Slovenia – a “milestone” in the 31 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. 

“Our meeting today was built on the momentum from the success of the inaugural Philippines-Slovenia Political Consultations held on 05 February 2025 this year in Ljubljana,” he said in his speech. 

“Today,  we discussed  ways to strengthen cooperation in key sectors, especially  trade and investment, and to build on the results of the Political Consultations,” he added. 

According to Manalo, Fajon is joined by a Slovenian business delegation, engaged in areas such as mobility, manufacturing, food and beverage, ICT, science and technology, and hospitality.   

“The business delegation will meet with their counterparts from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry or PCCI during the Slovenia-Philippines Business Forum tomorrow, with the aim of encouraging and promoting collaboration between our Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and between Philippine and Slovenian businesses,” he said. 

“In addition, we will continue our cooperative activities in other sectoral areas, such as  space, S&T applications, nuclear energy, maritime education, training, sports, and labor,” he added, 

Regional, international issues

Manalo said he also discussed regional and international developments with Fajon, particularly the developments in the Indo-Pacific, ASEAN and the West Philippine Sea; as well as Ukraine and the Middle East.

For her part, Fajon called on parties in the South China Sea to settle maritime dispute in a peaceful manner, following what she described as “disturbing” actions in the trillion-worth trade route.

“I would like to express, as the Secretary mentioned, our full solidarity with the Philippines over the continuing incidents in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone,” she said.
 

“Dangerous maneuvers in this maritime area, which we have witnessed in recent years, are disturbing and run contrary to UNCLOS. For Slovenia, respect of international law, including UNCLOS, as well for the International Arbiter Awards, is of paramount importance. And we speak from our own experience,” she added.

China claims the vast South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea. Recently, confrontations between the Philippine Coast Guard and China Coast Guard and militia vessels have significantly increased.

China’s historic “nine-dash line claim,” however, was rejected by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 after it favored Manila’s sovereign rights in the area. China has rejected the award, calling it “illegal, null and void.”