To underscore Europe’s growing engagement in Asia, High Representative and European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, June 2, it was learned Friday.
Kallas is expected to reaffirm the European Union’s commitment to stability and the rules-based international order, as geopolitical tensions escalate, particularly in the South China Sea.
The visit and the meeting come at a time when the global balance of power is undergoing profound change, accelerated by the re-election of Donald Trump in the United States that signal Washington’s retreat from its traditional leadership role on the global stage.
This effective withdrawal has heightened the urgency for like-minded nations and regional groupings, such as the EU, to step up efforts to defend multilateralism and international law.
Kallas’s visit to the Philippines will follow her keynote speech at the region’s premier security forum, the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where she will address the second plenary session on “Ensuring Stability in a Competitive World.”
During her talks with Marcos, Kallas is also expected to reiterate EU’s support for the 2016 arbitral ruling favoring the Philippines in its maritime dispute with China and Europe’s opposition to any actions that escalate tensions or undermine sovereignty.
Kallas’s visit signals the EU’s intention to deepen strategic partnerships in Asia, recognizing the region’s central role in an increasingly competitive and fragmented global order.
The EU’s top diplomat is also scheduled to meet with Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Ronnie Gil Gavan, and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, key figures in the country’s efforts to assert sovereignty and maintain maritime security.
In Singapore, Kallas will meet with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and key cabinet members to discuss shared concerns.
In Manila, the EU’s top diplomat will cap her Southeast Asian visit with a town hall meeting at De La Salle University, engaging Filipino youth on the future of global governance, and a dialogue with civil society representatives to emphasize the EU’s steadfast commitment to democracy and human rights.
