The Philippines is "revitalizing" its relationship with Croatia by discussing new areas of cooperation, including in the field of defense, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. Among areas discussed by DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Affairs Ma. Theresa Lazaro when she recently met Croatian Director General for Political Affairs Petar Mihatov were labor, science, technology and innovation, education, tourism and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). They also discussed defense and maritime cooperation as they tackled pressing global concerns, especially the developments in the West Philippine Sea, human rights and respect for the rule of law. According to DFA, there was a "frank exchange of views regarding regional security concerns and perspectives on the situation in Ukraine and its implications in Europe and in Asia." "The Philippines and Croatia reaffirmed the importance of a rules-based multilateral order," the DFA noted, as it said in-depth discussions on ASEAN-European Union and PH-EU relations also took place. The consultations were held as both countries prepare to commemorate the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations this year. Lazaro, Mihatov and their respective delegates concluded the meeting with hopes that there are more similar discussions to come as they serve as a platform for communication and offer substantial prospects for productive collaboration.