Manila and Paris have signed a visiting forces agreement that will allow their militaries to conduct joint operations in each other’s territories, marking the first such partnership the Philippines has signed with a European ally.
Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. and French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOFVA) on March 26 at the military academy in Paris, according to a statement from the Philippine Department of National Defense.
The department said the SOFVA will facilitate wider cooperation between the French and Philippine forces, including the ability of both militaries to work together in maritime security and in disaster and emergency response….
Philippines Signs Military Pact With France Amid South China Sea Tensions
