MANILA — France is set to submit the first draft of a military interoperability agreement with the Philippines by the end of September, French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel announced on Tuesday.
In late July, Manila and Paris agreed to begin negotiations for a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Fontanel shared with reporters at the Palace.
“It’s been agreed that France will be the one to issue the first draft by the end of September,” the ambassador stated.
Fontanel noted that while there is no strict deadline for the final agreement, the negotiation process is progressing smoothly. “As far as I know, the process has been going on well. It’s in our hands, it’s in Paris,” she said.
Although there’s no fixed timeline for completion, she mentioned that they are “inspired by the example of the Japanese Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which was signed within 8 months.”
The RAA provides a legal framework for Filipino and Japanese troops to conduct joint military exercises in each other’s territories.
In July, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told ANC that Manila was preparing to sign similar agreements with several countries, including France, Canada, and New Zealand.
“We are going to work on an RAA, hopefully with Canada, France, New Zealand, and other countries that escaped my memory at this time,” Teodoro said. He also mentioned the Philippines’ interest in deepening ties with the United Kingdom.
Ambassador Fontanel emphasized the importance of a military agreement between France and the Philippines, especially given France’s territories in the Pacific and its role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
“We have a strategy in the Indo-Pacific, and it’s important to have partners in the region, particularly to ensure access for our Armed Forces,” Fontanel said.
The Philippines has been forging closer military ties with several countries amid ongoing tensions with China, which continues to assert its claim over nearly the entire South China Sea, despite the 2016 arbitration ruling that rejected Beijing’s claims.
Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines has been vocal in condemning China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea, which lies within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.
To date, the Philippines has signed RAAs with Japan and Australia, and a Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States.