According to a release from the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andris Pelšs, met with the Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines, Leah M. Basinang-Ruiz, on 6 January 2020 to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation, including the need for signing an income tax treaty. Any such treaty would be the first of its kind between the two countries and must be negotiated, signed, and ratified before entering into force.