Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Manila on Wednesday to participate in the 33rd Asean Regional Forum (ARF) ministerial meeting, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

“A busy programme of engagements lies ahead, including participation in the ARF plenary meeting and bilateral meetings with counterparts on the sidelines,” the FO said in a post on the social media platform X.

It said that upon his arrival, Dar was received by Elmer G Cato, the assistant secretary at the Philippines’ foreign affairs department, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Philippines Asima Rabbani and other officials.

In a statement issued on Tuesday night, the FO said that the high-level meeting will bring together foreign ministers and delegates from 27 ARF member states, adding that the Asean secretary general will also attend the meeting.

It said that Dar will participate in discussions on “political and security issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region, with a special focus on promoting peace, stability, and mutual cooperation through sustained dialogue and diplomacy”.

He will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterpart from the Philippines and several other participating dignitaries on the sidelines of the meeting, it said.

“Established in 1994, the ARF has remained a pivotal platform for multilateral consultations on regional security issues. Since becoming a member in 2004, Pakistan has maintained an active role within the forum, consistently offering constructive contributions to its regional programmes and objectives,” the FO statement concluded.

Dar meets with Russian FM

Ahead of the Asean moot, Dar met with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Manila.

The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations between their countries and reaffirmed their commitment to “further strengthening cooperation in trade, energy, connectivity, and other key areas, as well as enhancing coordination at multilateral forums”, FO said.

“They underscored the importance of sustained high-level engagement in advancing the Pakistan–Russia partnership,” it added.

The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on key regional and international developments and agreed to remain in close contact.