The defense minister of New Zealand has expressed “deep concern” over the current situation in the West Philippine Sea. 

In her bilateral meeting with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Saturday, New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Anne Collins said her country is "deeply concerned with what is happening in the West Philippine Sea.”

Teodoro emphasized that “the Philippines is not the one causing the problem over there.”

Thus, Collins said, “New Zealand has to engage the Indo-Pacific region.”

Teodoro and Collins also discussed stronger defense cooperation, notably in the areas of engineering and logistics.

At the 21st International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD), Teodoro also met with Lithuania’s Minister of National Defence, Laurynas Kasčiūnas, and discussed feature defense and military training on cybersecurity between both countries. 

Teodoro ordered the country’s senior defense officials “to immediately explore areas of cooperation,” including the possible forging of a memorandum of understanding to develop Philippines-Lithuania defense cooperation.

Teodoro urged Kasčiūnas to invite his people to visit the Philippines and asked Lithuanian seafaring companies to tap Filipino seafarers to be part of his country’s maritime industry. 

Meanwhile, Teodoro also met bilaterally with Canada’s Minister of Defense Bill Blair, where they affirmed both countries’ “long, enduring friendly relations.”

During the discussion, Blair strongly lauded the Philippines for forging defense and security alliances with countries such as the United States, Japan, and South Korea.

Teodoro, in response, noted that Canada also “has a major role to play in the Indo-Pacific Region.”

Further, the country’s defense chief also met with his counterparts from North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific regions on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue.