Manila, March 10 -- Ahead of a historic first visit to the country, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon affirmed Slovenia's support for the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea and called on states to abide by the 2016 Arbitral Award, a landmark ruling that firmly rejected Beijing's expansive claims in the South China Sea under its nine-dash line.

"I would like to express my solidarity with the Philippines in the face of challenges to security and international law in the South China Sea - or more precisely, in the West Philippine Sea. Slovenia is committed to international law and to the universal and unified character of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)," she told the Philippine News Agency in an email.

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