DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr and his Malaysian counterpart, Mohamed Khaled Nordin, have agreed to enhance defense relations between the two countries, including in the field of maritime security, the Department of National Defense (DND) said yesterday.
Teodoro and Nordin met on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Retreat in Malaysia and discussed “key defense issues,” said DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong.
“During their discussions, both officials reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering defense relations, particularly in maritime security, counter-terrorism efforts, and capacity-building programs,” he also said.
The Philippines and Malaysia are among countries with claims to the South China Sea. The others are Brunei, Taiwan, Vietnam, and China which claims almost the entire sea.
Meanwhile, Malacañang yesterday said President Marcos Jr.’s challenge for China to end its harassment in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) stands.
The statement was issued following a call of Chinese state media for the Philippines to return to the United States its Typhon missile system, which is being used for military interoperability exercises.
The Armed Forces on Wednesday told China it cannot dictated upon by any country on how it will defend Philippine territory from external threats.
The President last month said he is willing to send back the missile system if China stops its aggression against Filipinos in the WPS.
“The President has not changed his pronouncement. He has his own demands. If China wants to demand, we have our counter demand,” Presidential Press Officer Claire Castro said in Filipino during a press briefing.
The Typhon was brought in last year and has been used in military exercises between Filipino and American troops, including the huge-scale “Balikatan” exercise.
At the ASEAN event, Andolong said Teodoro and Nordin also welcomed cooperation in human capital development, particularly in cybersecurity, to strengthen resilience against malign influence and interference.”
“Acknowledging the territorial disputes between the Philippines and Malaysia, Secretary Teodoro emphasized that both nations continue to work together diplomatically and constructively, allowing them to engage in discussions on other critical issues,” said Andolong.
“He (Teodoro) reiterated the need to further strengthen ties among ASEAN member states to ensure regional security and stability,” added Andolong.
In Malacañang, the President expressed hope for forging a stronger relationship with Slovenia, Palestine, Egypt and Sweden, and further promoting peace and a rules-based international order.
The President made the remarks during the presentation of credentials of Slovenian Ambassador-designate Smiljana Knez and Palestinian Ambassador-designate Mounir Y.K. Anastas on Wednesday and Swedish Ambassador-designate Anna Ferry and Egyptian Ambassador-designate Nader Nabil Zaki on Thursday in Malacañang.
The Presidential Communications Office, in a news release, said Knez vowed to strengthen cooperation between the Philippines and Slovenia in various areas, including people-to-people ties, and promised to work “tirelessly and cooperate closely” with the Philippines’ government, business community, and cultural and scientific communities for the common benefit of two nations. – With Jocelyn Montemayor
Slovenia, which is set to open an embassy in Manila soon, established diplomatic relations with the Philippines in 1993. It is home to 462 Filipinos, mostly office-based workers, professionals, service workers, and technicians.
Anastas conveyed his government’s commitment to continued partnership with Manila and vowed to “work towards a future where peace, mutual understanding, and prosperity prevail.”
The Philippines and Palestine established diplomatic relations in September 1989.
