Photo: Philippine Ministry of Defence
A historically important meeting took place on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore: Philippine Defence Minister Gilberto Teodoro and Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine Oleksandr Kozenko discussed the prospects for expanding defence cooperation. This was announced by the spokesman for the Philippine Ministry of Defence, Arsenio Andolong, The Manila Times reports.
“Minister Teodoro expressed his deep admiration for the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the Philippines’ interest in expanding defence ties with Kyiv,” said Philippine Defence Ministry spokesman Arsenio Andolong.
During the talks, the Ukrainian side announced its plan to appoint a defence attaché to Manila to coordinate strategic cooperation. Kozenko thanked the Philippines for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and stressed the importance of cooperation with democratic countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Symmetrical interest
The Philippines is interested in Ukraine’s high-tech experience in the defence sector, particularly in UAVs, cyber defence and military logistics. Ukraine, on the other hand, is interested in Manila’s experience in responding to maritime emergencies, trauma recovery, and civil-military cooperation in crisis regions.
This vector of cooperation could open a new chapter for Ukraine in Asia, especially given the formation of a global alliance of democratic countries that are confronting authoritarian challenges.
“Both countries have reaffirmed their commitment to international law and to the Geneva Conventions,” said Andolong.
