Luxembourg Reaffirms Philippines Partnership at ASEAN High-Level Meeting

From Wednesday 22 to Friday 24 July 2026, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, paid a working visit to the Philippines as the first stop of his tour of Southeast Asia.

The visit coincided with the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Luxembourg and the Philippines. During his stay in Manila, Minister Bettel met with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Theresa Lazaro and Secretary of Trade and Industry Cristina Roque. He also attended a reception marking the diplomatic anniversary, together with Secretary Lazaro and Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Leo Herrera-Lim.

According to Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, discussions reaffirmed the two countries' shared commitment to international law, a rules-based international order and multilateralism. The talks also covered regional and international developments, including the situation in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Ukraine.

On the bilateral level, Minister Bettel welcomed the progress made towards concluding a double taxation agreement and expressed satisfaction with the strengthening of relations since his previous visit in February 2026, particularly in the space sector. The ministry noted that he said these developments demonstrate the ambition of both countries to further strengthen their partnership.

Minister Bettel also underlined the importance of predictability in international relations, highlighting that Luxembourg remains a reliable, predictable and open partner, with the aim of identifying new opportunities benefiting both Luxembourg and the Philippines.

In Manila, Minister Bettel also participated in the high-level meeting commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC). Luxembourg signed the TAC at the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane in 2024, becoming the fifth European Union Member State and the 55th country to accede to the treaty. The ministry added that, during this year's meeting in Manila, seven additional countries signed the TAC: Cyprus, Iraq, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Uzbekistan.

As part of the meeting, Minister Bettel participated in a working session dedicated to conflict prevention and preventive diplomacy. During his intervention, he thanked the Philippines for hosting the meeting and for its commitment to regional peace and stability. Luxembourg's foreign minister also highlighted the importance of partnerships and shared objectives. According to the ministry, Minister Bettel said this is why the meeting between ASEAN Member States and the contracting parties to the TAC is of such importance.

Minister Bettel also attended a dinner hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The ministry further noted that participation in the high-level meeting provided an opportunity for bilateral meetings with Vietnam's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lê Hoài Trung, Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, and Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sugiono.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Bettel also met with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand and Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty.