The Philippines and New Zealand have embarked on a new chapter of defense cooperation following the signing of the Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo announced Monday.

Manalo welcomed the development in a joint press conference with his counterpart, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who is currently in Manila for an official visit.

The signing of the MLSA, which is expected to enhance the interoperability of military personnel between the two countries, comes amidst increasing tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

According to Manalo, the MLSA is a “pivotal document that will greatly enhance future military engagements” between the two countries.

Likewise, the country’s top diplomat said the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) between the Philippines and New Zealand is likely to conclude soon.

The SOVFA, a defense pact similar to the Philippines’ VFA with the United States and Australia, would allow the two countries’ military personnel to train in each other’s territories.

The agreement will also enable New Zealand to conduct more multilateral maritime operations, undertake port visits, and participate in joint military exercises in the Philippines, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.

Manalo and Peters, who is also New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific region, including the South China Sea.

“They agreed on the important role maritime security and international law plays in ensuring peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the two countries said in a joint statement.

60 years of diplomatic relations

During their meeting, Peters and Manalo also discussed the enduring friendship between New Zealand and the Philippines, shaped by nearly 60 years of diplomatic relations.

The two diplomat chiefs reiterated their mutual desire and discussed steps towards elevating the Philippine-New Zealand relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership by 2026, as agreed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Manila last April.

They also discussed opportunities for growing mutually beneficial two-way trade, investment, and defense cooperation.

They reflected on the flourishing people-to-people links between the two countries, including the growing Filipino community in New Zealand.

For his part, Manalo acknowledged New Zealand’s ongoing development support to the Philippines, including a new package of support to improve health, education, and livelihoods in Mindanao.