Breaking News: Philippines, New Zealand eye visiting forces pact strengthened economic ties!
The Philippines and New Zealand have taken steps toward deeper defense cooperation, including the possible establishment of a visiting forces agreement, as President Ferdinand Marcos Junior. and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met in Malacañang on Thursday. In a joint statement released after the two leaders’ bilateral meeting, Marcos and Luxon committed to “maintaining and strengthening defense engagements while exploring new frameworks of cooperation to deepen defense ties.” “Both sides committed to the signing of a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement (M.L.S.A.) by the end of 2024, and to concluding a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (S.O.V.F.A.),” the leaders said. Aside from the United States, the Philippines also has a SOVFA with Australia and is currently developing a similar defense pact with Japan, known as the Reciprocal Access Agreement.
These types of military partnerships allow Filipino and foreign soldiers to train in each other’s territory, as well as share military equipment and assets. Marcos and Luxon both shared serious concern over recent developments in the South China Sea, reaffirming the right of freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the seas under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two leaders also expressed commitment to sustaining maritime security cooperation, including bilateral and multilateral activities at sea, port calls/visits, and capacity-building efforts. Recognizing that the Philippines and New Zealand have a shared interest as Pacific maritime nations, Marcos and Luxon also pledged to cooperate on maritime law enforcement, including addressing common threats, such as piracy, maritime terrorism, contraband smuggling, wildlife trafficking, and irregular human migration.
#news #newsupdate #newsheadlines #newstoday #cnn #abcnews #newsheadlines #newslive #24oras #globalnews #TV #politics #weathernews #businessnews #showbisnews #currentevents #COVID19news #worldnewstoday #philippinenews #globalnews #ukrainenews