Philippines and Australia Sign Statement of Intent for Defense Cooperation Agreement

Makati City, The Gulf Observer: The Philippines and Australia on Friday signed a statement of intent to pursue a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), a move expected to further strengthen security ties between the two nations.

The agreement is targeted for completion and signing by next year, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles announced following the 2nd Philippine-Australia Defense Ministers Meeting in Makati City.

“Today, we have signed a statement of intent to pursue a Defense Cooperation Agreement that we will seek to sign this time next year,” Marles said, calling the initiative “a really important step forward” in bilateral defense relations.

Marles emphasized that the DCA will build on the 1995 Memorandum of Understanding and encompass the full range of defense engagement, including annual defense ministers’ meetings, enhanced coordination of military exercises and operations, and increased collaboration on defense infrastructure development. Currently, Australia is pursuing eight infrastructure projects across five locations in the Philippines.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. welcomed the development, describing the DCA as a framework that would put the partnership between Manila and Canberra “in concrete form.” He noted that signing the agreement during next year’s ASEAN Summit in the Philippines would be both timely and symbolic.

Teodoro also thanked Australia for supporting the Philippines’ maritime rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), stressing the importance of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region to uphold international law amidst growing security challenges.