MANILA — Palestinian Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin is on an official visit to the Philippines from November 16 to 21, 2025, undertaking a series of formal engagements.

During the visit, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro is scheduled to meet with Minister Shahin on November 18 to discuss regional and international issues, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Shahin is the highest-ranking official of the Palestinian Authority to visit the Philippines since the establishment of diplomatic relations on September 4, 1989.

On November 17, the Foreign Minister delivered a lecture at the Foreign Service Institute titled, “The Palestinian Predicament: Latest Developments in Gaza and the West Bank.”

The Philippines reaffirmed its support for the “two-state solution” as the only viable path toward a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.