Working visit of Xavier Bettel to the Philippines

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, visited the Philippines from 22 to 24 July 2026 as the first leg of his working visit to South-East Asia.
 

The year 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Luxembourg and the Philippines. The working visit thus took place as part of the celebrations, and included meetings with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Theresa Lazaro, and the Secretary of Trade and Industry, Cristina Roque, as well as a reception organised to mark this diplomatic anniversary, attended by Secretary Lazaro and the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs for Policy, Leo Herrera-Lim.

During his various discussions with his Philippine counterparts, the shared commitment to respect for international law and a rules-based international order, as well as to multilateralism, was reaffirmed. The discussions also provided an opportunity to review regional and international issues, particularly regarding the situation in South-East Asia, the Middle East and Ukraine.

On bilateral subjects, Xavier Bettel welcomed the progress made towards the conclusion of a double taxation agreement (CONDI) and expressed his satisfaction at the strengthening of relations since his last visit in February 2026, particularly in the space sector. He emphasised that these developments demonstrate both countries’ ambition to further strengthen their partnership.

Minister Bettel also underlined the importance of predictability in international relations, highlighting the fact that Luxembourg remains a reliable, predictable and open partner, aiming to identify new opportunities for the benefit of both Luxembourg and the Philippines.

Participation in the high-level meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC)

In Manila, Minister Bettel also took part in the high-level meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC). Luxembourg signed the TAC at the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane in 2024, thereby becoming the fifth Member State of the European Union and the 55th country to have acceded to it. In 2026, seven new countries signed the TAC in Manila: Cyprus, Iraq, Lithuania, Poland, Uzbekistan, Romania and Sweden.

As part of the meeting, Minister Bettel took part in a working session dedicated to conflict prevention and preventive diplomacy. In his address, he thanked the Philippines for organising the meeting and for their commitment to regional peace and stability. Emphasising the importance of partnerships and shared objectives, Minister Bettel noted the significance of this meeting between ASEAN member states and the contracting parties to the TAC.

In addition, Minister Bettel attended a dinner hosted by the Philippine President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

His participation in the high-level meeting provided an opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with the Vietnamese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lê Hoài Trung, as well as with the Thai Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, and the Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sugiono.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Bettel also met with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, and the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty.

Press release from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Foreign Trade (translated from the French version)