DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr has agreed with his counterparts from South Korea and South Africa to deepen the Philippines’ with their countries to address common security challenges.
Teodoro met separately on Monday with Ahn Gyu-Back of South Korea and Angelina Motshekga of South Africa on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue in South Korea.
Teodoro and Ahn discussed enhancing collaboration in logistics and technological exchange, and “explored avenues to further deepen cooperation in response to common regional security challenges,” said Arsenio Andolong, spokesperson of the Department of National Defense.
They also “underscored the importance of cultural and educational exchanges, along with people-to-people ties, as vital pillars of the bilateral relationship,” he said.
Teodoro invited Ahn to visit the Philippines, “reaffirming Manila’s commitment to advancing defense cooperation, strengthening regional security, and sustaining strategic engagement with its long-standing partner,” Andolong said.
Teodoro and Motshekga discussed forging a defense cooperation agreement.
“The meeting highlighted ongoing efforts to formalize defense cooperation between the Philippines and South Africa through a Memorandum of Agreement on Cooperative Activities in the Field of Defense, the first such agreement between the Philippines and an African country,” said Andolong.
He said Teodoro cited military medicine and safety of seafarers as among potential areas of cooperation between the nations.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to supporting international peace and security, and advancing multilateral cooperation,” said Andolong.
Also on Monday, Teodoro met with Johan Berggren, Sweden’s State Secretary to the Minister for Civil Defense, also on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue.
Andolong said Teodoro and Berggren reaffirmed the defense partnership between Sweden and the Philippines, building on the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Materiel.
Teodoro said cited the importance of closer cooperation with Sweden “to support the Philippines’ defense modernization and national resilience efforts.”
