ManilaTimes-Feb 23
THE United States and Australia expressed willingness to conduct joint maritime patrols in the West Philippine Sea with the Philippines.
The issue was discussed by the respective defense secretaries of the two countries with Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. Galvez met with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles on Wednesday. “As countries which are committed to the global rules-based order, it is natural that we should think about ways in which we can cooperate in this respect,” Marles said during a joint press briefing with Galvez. “We did talk today about the possibility of exploring joint patrols, and we will continue that work and we hope that comes to fruition soon,” he added.
Marles said the Philippines and Australia are “deeply invested” in asserting the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (Unclos), particularly in the West Philippine Sea. Galvez said that Australia was one of the first countries to conduct joint patrol with the Philippines in 2017. The Philippine-Australia joint patrol at the Celebes and Sulu Sea led to the establishment of the trilateral defense cooperation with Indonesia and Malaysia. Australia is the second country, next to the US, with which the Philippines has a reciprocal visiting forces agreement, signed in 2007. Marles will meet with President Marcos to discuss the two nations’ bilateral ties. Read more at:
https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/02/23/news/us-australia-eye-sea-patrols-with-ph/1879801
