Philippines, France to Discuss Visiting Forces Agreement; French Envoy Weighs In

France and the Philippines plan to negotiate a defense pact allowing troops to hold exercises in each other's territories. The agreement aims to strengthen defense amid ongoing maritime disputes in the South China Sea involving China and multiple Southeast Asian countries. France has participated in joint exercises with the US and the Philippines in the region, highlighting their commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation. The agreement, if reached, will expand the Philippines' existing defense pacts with the US and Australia as it seeks to enhance its security capabilities.

France and the Philippines will begin talks next month on a defense pact that would allow troops from each country to hold exercises in the other's territory, the French ambassador has said.

French and Philippine officials will meet in Paris next month for talks on a visiting forces agreement, French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel said on Thursday.

She said the defense chiefs of both countries agreed in Manila last December to pursue such an accord.

''We will have an opportunity in May to maybe start officially the negotiations or, at least, discuss the modalities," Fontanel said at a news conference with French Ambassador to the Indo-Pacific Marc Abensour.

The Philippines currently has status-of-forces agreements with the United States and Australis. The agreements provide a legal framework for the entry of foreign forces into a country.

Manila has pursued similar agreements with other countries, including Japan and France, amid escalating disputes with China in the South China Sea. Since last year, Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships and accompanying vessels have been involved in high seas skirmishes which included minor collisions and injuries to Philippine navy personnel near disputed shoals in the contested waters.

In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are also involved in the long-running territorial disputes, a potential Asian flashpoint that could bring the US and China into a collision course if disputes escalate into a major conflict.

France has been boosting its security engagements with the Philippines. A French navy ship is joining US and Philippine navy ships in and near the disputed South China Sea as part of largescale combat-readiness exercises by longtime treaty allies Manila and Washington that started Monday.

Abensour renewed France's commitment to helping maintain freedom of navigation and overflight and respect for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in the region.

China has strongly criticised the exercises, saying the Philippines was "ganging up" with countries from outside Asia, and warned that the drills could instigate a confrontation and undermine regional stability.

The Philippine military dismissed China's criticism, saying the drills are aimed at boosting Manila's territorial defense and are not directed at any particular country.(AP) RUP RUP

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