Brussels: Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro called on the international community to bolster defenses against hybrid threats as she reiterated the Philippines' commitment to multilateralism and the rules-based international order. At the 4th European Union (EU) Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum (IPMF) in Brussels, Belgium from Nov. 20 to 21, Lazaro emphasized that adherence to international law, particularly in the maritime domain, remains essential in reducing tensions.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lazaro co-moderated the roundtable discussion on Security Priorities in the Face of Current Geopolitical Developments with EU High Representative and European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas. She highlighted the necessity of respecting legally binding rulings such as the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea. During the Ministerial Meeting on the Protection of Critical Maritime Infrastructure, Lazaro focused on the risks posed by hybrid threats that combine physical, cyber and information-based tactics.

Lazaro stressed the need for heightened vigilance and cooperative mechanisms to protect maritime resources, sea lines of communication, and critical undersea infrastructure from coercive actions and induced vulnerabilities. She reaffirmed the Philippines' commitment to deepening cooperation with partners on cybersecurity, data protection, and technical capacity-building to safeguard maritime infrastructure amid evolving security challenges.

The Philippines is poised to assume the ASEAN Chairship in 2026. On the sidelines of the forum, Lazaro engaged with her counterparts from Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Romania, and Slovakia to discuss shared priorities and bilateral cooperation. The fourth EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum gathered around 70 top diplomats and senior officials from EU institutions, 27 EU member states, 11 ASEAN member countries and partners across the Indo-Pacific region.