Australia and the Philippines Sign New Defence Cooperation Agreement as Albanese Announces Maritime Awareness Investment in Manila
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia held a press conference aboard HMAS Stalwart in Manila, the Philippines, announcing that Australia and the Philippines had signed a new Defence Cooperation Agreement, in the 80th anniversary year of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Albanese said the agreement has three main elements: guiding priority areas of cooperation, enhancing maritime awareness activities and information sharing, and increasing strategic dialogue, planning, training, interoperability and defence infrastructure development. Australia will also make an additional investment in maritime domain awareness and capabilities, including drone technology, improved detection for maritime and cyber security threats, equipment and training.
Australia's defence cooperation with the Philippines involves up to 200 separate activities involving between 2,500 and 3,000 Australian Defence Force personnel, including Australia's largest ever contribution to Exercise Balikatan in 2026, the Philippines' premier military exercise involving seven participating nations. Albanese will hold a bilateral meeting with President Marcos the following day and attend the ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit. (Source: Prime Minister of Australia)
Source: Prime Minister of Australia
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：菲律宾外交部大楼（帕赛 Roxas 大道）。照片：Patrick Roque，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / 菲律宾外交部大楼（帕赛 Roxas 大道）. Photo by Patrick Roque, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
