Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo met with Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on 1 February 2024.

The two officials exchanged views on matters of bilateral and regional concerns, including trade relations, agriculture, and the South China Sea. Both officials look forward to the upcoming political consultations between the two countries that will be held in Manila in June 2024.

This is their first meeting since they signed the Joint Plan of Action between the Philippines and Belgium at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in February 2023.