MANILA (ANN/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER) – The Philippines solidifies defence ties with the United Kingdom for the next five years, encompassing military exercises and maritime-focused training.
According to the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on defence cooperation was recently signed at the Philippine Embassy in London.
Philippine Ambassador to the UK Teodoro Locsin Jr and UK Minister of State for Defense Timothy Minto formalised the agreement, outlining a framework to strengthen bilateral collaboration in areas such as defence and military education, training, capacity building, peacekeeping operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, armaments and military equipment, as well as research and technology.
For the UK Embassy in Manila, the MOU “outlines the intent of our defence engagement for the next five years across a range of areas, including military exercises, training and modernization efforts.”
“We can expect this engagement to focus on the maritime domain, exclusive economic zone, hydrograph, and UK participation in future military exercises,” it said.
Last August, Philippines Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo signed a joint statement of intent with then-visiting former UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly for both nations to “develop bilateral defence engagement to uphold the rules-based international order across the traditional air, land and maritime domains.”
In their joint statement, the Philippines and the UK said they would promote “a free and open maritime order based on upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as the legal framework for all activities in the ocean and seas.”
