MANILA, Philippines — The government of Canada is intent on increasing its presence in the Indo-Pacific region, the Department of National Defense (DND) said on Friday.
During a courtesy call on Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Canada’s ambassador to the Philippines David Bruce Hartman committed to pursue practical cooperation on disaster resilience as well as education and training, among other initiatives, between the Philippine and Canadian defense establishments through capacity-building projects.
Both sides also expressed their readiness to accomplish the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense cooperation.
With the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Canada in 2024, Teodoro said Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy is timely as it aligns with the DND’s thrust to strengthen its defense partnerships with like-minded states in addressing pressing and emerging security concerns in the region.
Teodoro also took the opportunity to reiterate the DND’s invitation to Canada’s Minister of National Defense for an official visit to the Philippines to discuss ways to advance bilateral defense relations.