Manila expands defense ties in Indo-Pacific and beyond

FORUM Staff

The Philippines continues to deepen security and defense cooperation with like-minded nations. Manila and the European Union (EU) will launch a dialogue to combat cyber threats, information manipulation and foreign interference, leaders said in early June 2025. The announcement followed bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the region’s foremost defense forum, between Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and officials from Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore and Ukraine, among other nations.

Manila, a longtime treaty ally of the United States, has a visiting forces agreement with Australia and signed a reciprocal access pact with Japan in 2024 that facilitates combined defense force training in each nation. Germany and the Philippines signed a defense cooperation agreement in May 2025 to advance collaboration in cyber defense, logistics and peacekeeping. Manila and New Zealand are discussing allowing their troops to deploy to each other’s territory, with a formal agreement expected by late 2025. Similar deals are expected with Canada, France and others, according to Teodoro.

A formal dialogue will allow the 27-member EU and the Philippines to discuss security and defense issues in greater detail and more often, Manila’s Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said, according to the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Manalo and Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign affairs and security policy chief, announced the arrangement after meeting in Makati City, Philippines.

“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,” Manalo said.

The agreement will create a framework for sharing expertise and exploring regional and global security initiatives, Kallas noted.

In Singapore, Teodoro met with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, who reaffirmed Tokyo’s interest in expanding joint exercise participation, including in Balikatan and Kamandag in the Philippines. Japan was a full participant in both exercises for the first time in mid-2025. Teodoro emphasized the need for sustained bilateral and multilateral dialogues to deter actions that undermine regional peace and called for stronger alliances rooted in shared principles.

Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans told Teodoro that the Netherlands also wants to explore joint military activities with Manila.

Teodoro and Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Oleksandr Kozenko discussed Kyiv’s upcoming posting of a defense attache to the Philippines to strengthen ties.

In other meetings on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue:

• France reaffirmed its increasing strategic engagements in the Indo-Pacific and pledged to enhance military cooperation in addition to formalizing a visiting forces agreement with the Philippines.
• Lithuania and the Philippines noted recent cyber defense cooperation, a shared interest in defense technology collaboration and the importance of coordination among like-minded small states.
• The Philippines and Sweden discussed the need to counter information manipulation and protect sea lines of communication, while exploring military training and ship visits.
• The United Kingdom highlighted deepening defense exchanges and upcoming Philippine-U.K. naval deployments, according to PNA.