The Philippines and the United Kingdom have started formal negotiations for a proposed Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), the Department of National Defense (DND) said Thursday.
In a statement, the DND said the first round of negotiations was held on Thursday as Manila and London sought to strengthen defense cooperation and interoperability between their armed forces.
The Philippine panel was led by DND Undersecretary for Acquisition and Resource Management Salvador Melchor B. Mison Jr., while the UK panel was headed Ministry of Defence Indo-Pacific head Amy Senior.
"We appreciate UK’s unqualified support as a like-minded partner in upholding the rules-based international order and preserving freedoms ensured by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," Mison said.
The discussions focused on improving strategic defense initiatives and interoperability between the Philippine and British armed forces.
For the DND, the talks reflected the two countries' shared commitment to promoting regional peace and security through the rule of law, particularly amid increasingly complex security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
Visiting forces deals provide the legal framework governing foreign troops temporarily conducting activities in Philippine territory, covering jurisdiction, entry and exit procedures, logistics support, and military cooperation.
The countries with visiting forces pact with the Philippines include the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, and France.
In recent years, the Philippines has strengthened its defense agreements with other countries under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. amid growing security concerns involving China in the West Philippine Sea.
