PH, NZ to sign VFA deal in April

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and New Zealand have finalized discussions on a visiting forces agreement and will sign the deal in April, according to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

“We have finalized discussions on visiting forces agreements (VFA) with both New Zealand, which will be signed in April, and with Canada, where the final round of negotiations have been made,” Teodoro said during the 49th founding anniversary event of the Western Command (Wescom) on Monday.

Earlier, the Department of National Defense (DND) announced that both countries already concluded negotiations on February 18.

The DND and the New Zealand embassy in Manila explained that a visiting forces deal would deepen the overall defense and military cooperation between the countries.

READ: France awaits PH response on submitted first draft of VFA

Aside from this, Teodoro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also authorized them to negotiate a VFA with France.

“We also have received from His Excellency the President the authority to negotiate a visiting forces agreement with France, and other countries are coming and joining the bandwagon,” the DND chief revealed.

Last February 23, French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel said France already submitted the first draft of its military interoperability agreement with the Philippines last October and is awaiting the latter’s response.

In December 2023, Teodoro announced that the Philippines and France began their talks to establish a VFA.

The following year, Paris participated for the first time in a four-day joint patrol in the WPS during Manila and Washington’s annual Balikatan exercises.

Based on previous reports, both countries increased military engagement despite a lack of an official VFA, which enables a mechanism for shared military training and operations and larger joint exercises between two countries.