The Philippines and Indonesia are mulling a "trilateral cooperation" with Malaysia in the field of defense and security, the country's defense spokesperson said.
Arsenio Andolong, in a statement on Tuesday, said the move to pursue trilateral ties is in "view of security challenges in maritime areas of common concern."
He said the Department of National Defense and the Indonesian Defense Ministry reaffirmed their commitment to continue implementing the 1997 Defense Cooperation Agreement and complement the 1975 Border Patrol and Crossing Agreements between the Philippines and Indonesia.
DND officer-in-charge, Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr., and Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto renewed the pact of both countries "on Cooperative Activities in the Field of Defense and Security" to further enhance bilateral relations and alliances.
"The renewal of the Agreement provides a framework for cooperation between the two defense establishments and aims to enhance the longstanding defense cooperation between the two countries," he said.
Andolong said the framework would allow both countries "to collaborate in capacity building to address shared concerns, particularly in the Southeast Asian region."
The renewed Philippine-Indonesia defense relation is also one of the bilateral agreements signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his state visit to Indonesia last Monday.
The Philippines considers Indonesia one of its closest defense partners in the region.
