MANILA – The Philippines and France affirmed their commitment to work for a stronger long-term partnership in the maritime, land, aerial and information domains, after the bilateral meeting between National Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. and French Minister for the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu on Saturday.
This also includes strengthening the legal framework of the bilateral defense relationship, by initiating discussions on defense agreements, including the consideration of a status of visiting forces agreement, enhancing defense and military activities, including capability development and joint defense industry cooperation.
“We intend to take concrete steps into leveling up and making more comprehensive our defense cooperation principally by working to get authorization from our respective heads of state and relevant agencies to begin negotiations for a status of visiting forces agreement,” Teodoro said in a press conference in Taguig City.
The Philippines has visiting forces agreements with the United States and Australia and has commenced the negotiations on a similar deal called the Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan.
According to the Embassy of France to the Philippines, the two ministers discussed current regional security issues in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Europe, underscoring the rules-based international order and calling for the peaceful resolution of disputes.
Consistent with the security and defense interests of the Philippines and the French Indo-Pacific Strategy, they highlighted their shared positions supporting a free, open, inclusive and stable Indo-Pacific. With regard to the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea, both sides expressed adherence to the spirit and provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and recalled the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.
The ministers also welcomed the positive trajectory of Philippines-France defense and military cooperation, demonstrated by the regular convening of the bilateral defense dialogues, visits by defense and armed forces delegations, continuous educational exchanges, port visits, as well as naval and disaster response training activities.
In a press conference, Lecorno said that “it had been a long time since the bilateral relationship has made headways especially for defense and security.”
He added that this event is a starting point for both countries which will be a way to get regular milestones for practical agenda that will be in the interest of both countries and joint security.
Lecornu’s visit follows the commitment by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to enhance the strategic partnership between France and the Philippines.
