THE Philippines and the United Kingdom have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defense cooperation, including training and possible military equipment acquisition.
In an announcement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the Philippine Embassy in London said Philippine Ambassador to the UK Teodoro Locsin Jr. signed for the Philippines, while British Minister of State for Defense Timothy Minto signed for the UK on January 11.
In a Facebook post, it said the agreement between the Department of National Defense and the UK Ministry of Defense will provide a framework for enhancing cooperation between the two countries.
This includes defense and military education, training and capacity building, peacekeeping operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, armaments and military equipment, and research and technology.
Locsin and Minto hailed the MoU as an opportunity to further develop ties between the two countries, the embassy said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, UK Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific Martin Kent recently visited the Philippines to strengthen the trade relationship between London and Manila.”Great to be on my first visit to the Philippines as HMTC (His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner),” Kent wrote on X.
“The UK-Philippines trade relationship is currently worth £2.9 billion,” he added.
Kent said he would work with the British Embassy Trade Director Lindsey Gilbert-Crouch to further boost the UK’s trade and investment with the Philippines.
The British Embassy in Manila said Kent’s visit looked into “building on our economic ties towards mutual prosperity in the year ahead.”