The chiefs-of-staff of the Philippines and the US are looking to expand military exercises being conducted by the two nations.
This, after Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. spoke with US Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) chair Gen. CQ Brown via phone on Feb. 10 (US time).
“Gen. Brown and Gen. Brawner discussed military modernization initiatives, Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites and increasing the scope and capacity of joint exercises in the Philippines,” a JCS statement posted Tuesday (US time) said.
During their talk, Brown emphasized to the Philippine side the importance of domain awareness capability in securing the country’s exclusive economic zone.
“The US continues to closely partner with the Philippines and remains committed to maintaining a strong alliance founded upon shared strategic interests and democratic values,” the JCS added.
Earlier, the AFP said this year’s “Balikatan” exercises with American forces will be among the largest in history.
This could be attributed to the expansion of “Balikatan” which now involves air, land, sea and cyber maneuvers and participation of other nations allied to the Philippines and US.
Meanwhile, military forces from the Philippines, Canada, and the US held the 7th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) in Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) According to Brawner, the latest MMCA demonstrated their collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“The naval and air force units of participating nations will operate together to enhance cooperation and interoperability among their armed forces,” Brawner said.
“The activity will be conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard for the safety of navigation, and the rights and interests of other states,” he added.
Brawner also said the said activity underscores nations shared commitments to upholding the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier said that the Philippines and Canada are currently negotiating the Philippines-Canada Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) which is an important development following the conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation between the Philippines and Canada on January 19.