France seeks VFA with Phl during carrier visit

France is advancing negotiations for a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the Philippines in light of the visit by its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle.

French Ambassador to the Philippines, Marie Fontanel, confirmed that they are awaiting a response from Philippine authorities to formally initiate the negotiations. France had initially submitted a draft VFA to the Philippine government last October.

During the carrier’s stop in Subic on 23 February, Fontanel highlighted that the deployment signifies France’s commitment to strengthening its trust-based partnership with the Philippines. She also reiterated France's support for the Philippines in upholding the international rules-based order and safeguarding freedom of navigation.

“We stand with countries like the Philippines that share our values of international law, particularly the law of the sea,” Fontanel stated. “In the South China Sea, we consistently affirm that any sovereign state must adhere to international law in the face of actions that contradict it.”