The Philippines strengthened its defense and security partnerships with Sweden, South Africa, and South Korea after a series of high-level meetings on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) 2025.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr. held separate meetings with top defense officials of the three countries.
On Monday, Teodoro met with Sweden’s State Secretary to the Minister for Civil Defence Johan Berggren to reaffirm bilateral cooperation in civil defense, crisis response, capacity building, defense education, and emerging security domains.
The meeting built on the 2023 memorandum of understanding on defense materiel. Both sides also discussed vulnerabilities in critical underwater infrastructure and exchanged views on Indo-Pacific security.
Berggren underscored Sweden’s commitment to deepening defense cooperation with Manila, saying strong partnerships are key to upholding the rules-based international order. Teodoro, for his part, stressed the importance of Sweden’s support for the Philippines’ defense modernization and resilience efforts.
Teodoro also met with South Africa’s Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angelina Motshekga, where discussions centered on finalizing a memorandum of agreement on cooperative activities in the field of defense. Once signed, it would mark the Philippines’ first formal defense agreement with an African country.
Areas of collaboration identified include military medicine and ensuring the safety of seafarers. The two officials also reaffirmed their commitment to international peace, security, and multilateral cooperation. The meeting followed their earlier engagement at the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Germany last May.
Meanwhile, the Philippines’ defense chief held talks with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-Back, with both sides agreeing to bolster bilateral cooperation under the framework of the 2015 Philippines–ROK defense memorandum of understanding.
Discussions covered logistics, technological exchanges, and defense industry cooperation. The two ministers also highlighted people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges as crucial pillars of the relationship, recalling the historic sacrifices of Filipino soldiers in the Korean War.
Teodoro extended an official invitation to Ahn to visit Manila, affirming the Philippines’ commitment to advancing defense cooperation and sustaining strategic engagement with South Korea, which is marking the 75th anniversary of its bilateral defense ties with the Philippines this year.
