PH, EU to begin dialogue on defense, security issues

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and the European Union (EU) have agreed to establish a dialogue to discuss security and defense-related issues with “depth and regularity,” Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said on Monday during the official visit of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas to Manila.

The dedicated mechanism seeks to strengthen cooperation between the two parties, facilitate the exchange of expertise, and pursue joint initiatives that contribute to both regional and global security, Kallas said at a press conference in Taguig City.

“Our work will be comprehensive and will include maritime security, cybersecurity, foreign information manipulation and interference, counterterrorism, crisis response, and more,” the EU’s top diplomat added.

For now, according to Manalo, both sides have started laying the groundwork through the creation of a subcommittee on maritime cooperation under the Philippines-EU partnership and cooperation agreement.

In addition, Manalo said the two sides also have an ongoing collaboration under the Critical Marine Routes Indo-Pacific and the Enhancing Security Cooperation in and within Asia.

“As like-minded partners committed to a rules-based international order, we hope that through the Security and Defense Dialogue we will remain proactive and united in addressing emerging security threats and challenges that transcend borders—cyberattacks and foreign interference and manipulation of information, to name a few,” he said.

In the field of maritime security and regional stability, the Philippines and the EU expressed intent to explore joint activities, including opportunities on connectivity and environmental monitoring, such as exchange of knowledge and best practices on submarine cables and uncrewed vessels.

The inaugural meeting of the defense and security dialogue is tentatively scheduled to take place in the last quarter of the year, according to a joint statement of the Philippines and the EU after the bilateral talks.

The partnership between the Philippines and the EU comes after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s pronouncement during the annual Shangri-La Dialogue over the weekend that he wanted Europeans to concentrate on European security as they boosted military budgets.

“We would much prefer that the overwhelming balance of European investment be on that continent ... so that as we partner there, which we will continue to do, we’re able to use our comparative advantage as an Indo-Pacific nation to support our partners here,” said Hegseth.

In the same event held in Singapore, Kallas emphasized that the security of Europe and the Pacific is “very much interlinked.”

Kallas’ trip to Manila is her first official visit to the country following her appointment on Dec. 1, 2024.

Reaffirming commitment

Aside from establishing the security and defense dialogue during their bilateral meeting, the Philippines and the EU also reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to the United Nations Charter and support for nonaggression, sovereign equality, and the territorial integrity of all nations, including for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award, said Manalo.

“These principles shape the Philippines’ consistent positions on key global and regional issues, including the situations in Ukraine and the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Kallas emphasized that as a “firm believer” in international law, the EU firmly rejects any unilateral attempts to change the status quo or undermine maritime security, particularly through coercion, referring to China’s aggressive actions in disputed areas of the South China Sea.

“The EU’s relationship with the Philippines is already on a positive trajectory. Today, we take it to another level. We shared the commitment to upholding the rules-based international order to promote peace and stability and to addressing common challenges together,” she said.

According to Kallas, the two parties are also strengthening cooperation on digital connectivity, people-to-people contacts, and the green economy, adding that the EU will move forward with the next rounds of negotiations of its free trade agreement with the Philippines.

The joint statement said the Philippines and the EU agreed to boost cooperation on climate change and green transition under the Global Gateway Strategy, including through data sharing under the Copernicus Earth Observation Programme and through the Team Europe Initiative on Green Economy, which supports the Philippines’ transition to a circular economy.

(2025/06/03-05:00)