Philippines, Australia to sign defense deal

MANILA, Philippines —  The Philippines and Australia are scheduled to sign a landmark defense cooperation deal on Sunday ahead of next week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Manila.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. and Australian Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown will sign the Defense Cooperation Arrangement (DCA).

The Department of National Defense said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will witness the signing ceremony ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit.

Teodoro earlier said the Philippines and Australia discussed the DCA during the 3rd Defense Ministers’ Meeting held in Darwin last August.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), which identifies itself as an independent, non-partisan think tank that produces expert and timely advice for Australian and global leaders, described the defense deal “a milestone in the relationship.”

“The Philippines has become pivotal to Australia’s strategic objectives unlike any previous time in 80 years of diplomatic relations. It is the country in Southeast Asia most closely aligned with Australia, and the most immediately critical to a region in which ‘no country is dominated’,” ASPI posted on its website on Tuesday.

“The defense relationship has become one of Australia’s most important, focused on deterrence and contingency preparation. The so-called Squad grouping (Australia, Philippines, Japan and United States) is developing into a joint operational structure that counters Chinese maritime pressure,” ASPI said.

The Philippines is also eyeing stronger military ties with Indonesia, according to Philippine Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-Ala, who revealed high-level talks on the matter on Tuesday.

“The Philippine Army values the mutual trust and professional exchanges built with the Indonesian Army which is one of its key partners in the Southeast Asian region,” Dema-ala said.

He said Philippine Army and Indonesian Army planners explored expanded cooperation in areas of mutual interest during the 32nd Indonesia-Philippines Army Working Group.

During the meeting, Dema-ala said planners from both armies discussed cooperation in defense and security, information-sharing on transnational threats, exchanges in leadership, training and communications and combined work on humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

Military officials from both forces also reaffirmed their commitment to ASEAN principles, dialogue and respect for international law.

Dema-ala said the high-level meeting builds on the Agreement on Cooperative Activities in the Field of Defense and Security, signed by the Philippines and Indonesia on Sept. 5, 2022.

At the annual Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) in New Delhi recently, the Philippines called for stronger maritime research and academic cooperation with India.

First held in 2018, the IPRD is the Indian Navy’s apex-level international conference, with the National Maritime Foundation serving as knowledge partner and chief organizer.

Philippine Ambassador Josel Ignacio, one of three ambassadors featured at the Special Ambassadorial Session, highlighted the value of academic and science and technology collaboration in the quest for solutions to challenges, filling knowledge and policy gaps, promoting confidence and capacity-building and buttressing and complementing government-level engagements.

Meanwhile, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár will visit the Philippines today until Sunday, the first official visit by a Slovak foreign minister since 2015.-  Pia Lee-Brago