Phl, Indonesia solidify military cooperation

The Defense chiefs of the Philippines and Indonesia met in Manila on Wednesday to strengthen existing agreements on logistics, defense industry collaboration, and personnel exchanges between the two nations.

Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin paid an introductory call on Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. at a hotel, according to the Department of National Defense (DND).

DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said Sjamsoeddin’s visit is part of his introductory engagements across Asia and provided an opportunity for both officials to discuss regional security, maritime cooperation, and bilateral defense initiatives.

“The Defense Ministers discussed security developments in the Indo-Pacific region and affirmed their shared interests as archipelagic nations,” Andolong said.

He added that both defense chiefs acknowledged the fundamental similarities between the neighboring countries and agreed to deepen defense and military cooperation through sustained interaction at various levels.

Teodoro cited that this was his third meeting with Sjamsoeddin and that they discussed strengthening cooperation between their defense departments and armed forces, as well as boosting solidarity among member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“Well, the commitments remain the same. The general commitments for mutual support, ASEAN solidarity, defense industry cooperation,” Teodoro said in a brief interview.