PH sees ‘more defense cooperation,’ maritime tie-up with Poland

MANILA – The Philippines is keen to further develop its defense cooperation with Poland, while exploring possible partnership on maritime security and other maritime activities, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Wednesday.

In a bilateral meeting with visiting Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, Manalo formally conveyed Manila’s interest to develop its maritime cooperation with Warsaw, citing the similarities and maritime traditions between the two states.

“The minister will be meeting with (Defense Secretary Gilberto) Teodoro to go into more detail, but certainly more defense cooperation is under consideration,” he said in a joint press conference in Makati City.

Manalo envisions this partnership taking in a number of forms, including bilateral activities, information sharing and exchanges between the Philippine and Polish coast guards.

“So, there are a lot of areas where we can cooperate in terms of maritime cooperation but also important is our commitment to upholding a rules-based order and the importance of international law,” he said. “I think we can work together to see how we can promote greater awareness."

Sikorski agreed that the evolving geopolitical situation in the Indo-Pacific and Europe opens up possibilities for an increased defense collaboration between Poland and the Philippines.

“The current international situation in both our regions causes both Poland and the Philippines to make efforts to modernize our armed forces. This creates additional opportunities for cooperation,” he said.

He also cited the need to strengthen bilateral dialogues on global security and fight against unconventional threats, including on cyberspace.

South China Sea, Ukraine

Manalo and Sikorski discussed various regional issues, including the Ukraine War and the South China Sea situation, and agreed that the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific are “interlinked”.

“We discussed the destructive impact of order based on the logic of force and coercion pushed by the Russian Federation on the entire world, and expressed our concerns about Russia’s close cooperation with China,” Sikorski said.

He warned that allowing the principles of international order to be undermined in Ukraine would pave the way for “similar revisionist actions in other parts of the world”.

“Ukraine gave up one of the largest stockpiles of nuclear weapons in exchange for Russian security guarantees— guarantees of its independence and borders,” he said, noting the border treaty signed and ratified by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2004.

“International treaties should not be ignored in the way that Vladimir Putin has done by invading Ukraine,” he added.

On the South China Sea, Sikorski said Poland supports an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific that is “free from any form of coercion”.

“Keeping the South China Sea waterways is vital not only to European supply chains but also to many other economies dependent on energy resources import," he said, citing that freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle enshrined in the United Conventions on the Law of the Sea.

“Any attempt to undermine this principle should be met by adequate response by the international community."

On top of defense and security, Manalo and Sikorski discussed ways to increase bilateral trade and boost ties on agriculture, information and communication technology, and peaceful uses of outer spaces, among others.

Manalo also encouraged more Polish companies to look into investing in the Philippines, especially on the automotive industry, transport logistics, energy and green technologies, and information technology-business process outsourcing.

Sikorski last visited the Philippines in 2006 when he served as the Polish minister for national defense. (PNA)