MANILA – Cyprus Foreign Minister Dr. Constantinos Kombos will visit the Philippines on Wednesday, October 7, marking the first visit by a Cypriot foreign minister to the country, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.
Kombos is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro as Manila and Nicosia seek to deepen their more than four decades of diplomatic relations.
The meeting will cover political and economic cooperation, maritime engagements, people-to-people exchanges, consular matters, and regional and international developments of mutual interest.
The visit follows recent high-level engagements between the two countries. Lazaro and Kombos met on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York in September, where they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and signed an agreement on cooperation in higher education and research. Philstar
Kombos’ Manila trip also builds on the historic visit of then-Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo to Cyprus in June 2024, the first by a Philippine foreign affairs secretary. During that visit, the two sides identified maritime cooperation, trade and investment, education and cultural cooperation as priority areas. Department of Foreign Affairs
Two agreements are expected to be signed during Kombos’ visit: a memorandum of understanding on sports cooperation and an agreement on the recognition of certificates issued under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, as amended.
The planned seafarer agreement highlights the maritime dimension of Philippine-Cyprus relations, with thousands of Filipinos living and working in the Mediterranean island nation.
More than 8,000 overseas Filipinos are currently based in Cyprus, according to the DFA, making labor and consular cooperation an important component of bilateral ties.
Economic exchanges between the two countries remain modest, with bilateral trade reaching USD4.52 million in 2025.
Kombos is traveling to Manila following a working visit to Japan, where he was scheduled to meet Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and other officials to strengthen Cyprus’ engagement in Asia. CNA
The Philippines and Cyprus established diplomatic relations in 1980 and marked their 45th anniversary in 2025.
