Phl, Mongolia vow closer ties

The Philippines and Mongolia on Monday agreed to expand their cooperation across a wide range of areas, including tourism, education, economic exchange, defense and labor.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh made the announcement in a joint statement following their bilateral meeting in Manila.

“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, disaster risk reduction, defense, counterterrorism, air services and countering transnational crime,” the statement said.

The two foreign ministers also discussed the possibility of a bilateral labor agreement, highlighting the importance of the growing people-to-people ties between their countries. They reaffirmed their commitment to promoting the welfare of Filipino workers in Mongolia.

During the meeting, Manalo and Batmunkh underscored the importance of upholding international law, including the United Nations Charter, and reaffirmed their support for 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,” the statement said.

The reaffirmation comes amid ongoing maritime tensions between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea.