Philippines, Australia affirm defense cooperation
by PhilStar | Feb 27, 2021
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine and Australia have reaffirmed their commitment to continue defense cooperation between them, believing that territorial issues and concerns in the Indo-Pacific region including the West Philippine Sea must not be about power and competition.
Defense Assistant Secretary for strategic assessments and international affairs Teodoro Cirilo Torralba III and Australia’s First Assistant Secretary for international policy Hugh Jeffrey co-chaired the 19th Philippines-Australia Joint Defense Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting held via video teleconference earlier this week.
Held annually as a policy dialogue platform between the defense establishments of the Philippines and Australia, the JDCC facilitated exchanges of views on the regional security situation to include the developments in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea and the threat posed by terrorism.
The DND yesterday said both countries agreed that the Indo-Pacific region must go beyond major power competition and should be inclusive and rules-based. Both also agreed that countries such as the Philippines and Australia play a role in shaping the region.
During the JDCC, both nations reaffirmed support for multilateral platforms like the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus with the Philippine side expressing support for Australia’s co-chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Military Medicine as well as appreciation for Australia’s continuing support for ASEAN centrality.
Highlighting the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-Australia diplomatic ties, the DND said the JDCC commended the robust cooperation between the two countries despite the pandemic as seen in the high-level engagements in 2020, including the visit of Minister Linda Reynolds in October 2020.
The Philippine and Australia also agreed to further discuss cooperation activities in the upcoming Defense Cooperation Working Group.
Notwithstanding the activities that had to be postponed or cancelled due to the pandemic, the DND said both countries agreed to resume activities when conditions allow and to hold virtual activities in the meantime.
