France, Philippines close in on visiting forces agreement

THE Philippines and France are finalizing details of a visiting forces agreement (VFA), moving closer to a deal that would allow French troops to operate legally in the country as Manila expands its security partnerships amid tensions in the South China Sea.

The agreement could be signed within the next few months, French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel said on Tuesday, after what she described as productive negotiations between the two sides.

“We are really optimistic that the signing could happen in the coming months, because the second round of negotiations showed that both parties, particularly the Philippines, were willing to fast-track it,” she told reporters.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. approved talks on the agreement last year, making France the first European country poised to secure a VFA with the Philippines. Such pacts provide the legal framework governing the entry, activities and jurisdiction over foreign troops during joint exercises and military cooperation.

“If we have high-level visits, opportunities for signing, I’m sure it will happen,” Ms. Fontanel said.

Negotiations began in Paris in June and continued in Manila in December, she said, adding that discussions are now focused on finalizing the wording of the agreement.

“The second negotiation… went very well,” she said. “Let’s hope that it could have been the final negotiation.”

The Philippine Department of National Defense said last month that the two sides had concluded a “successful” round of talks aimed at deepening defense ties, improving interoperability and strengthening cooperation in support of regional peace and stability.

“There are continuous discussions on finalizing the last wording and to be sure that every party is OK with the text,” Ms. Fontanel said, without giving further details.

The push for closer defense ties comes as Manila widens its security partnerships beyond the US, seeking agreements with countries such as the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as frictions with China intensify in the South China Sea.

Ms. Fontanel said France intends to sustain and expand cooperation with the Philippines, particularly in defense and security.

“The situation calls for continuing what we have done in the past — our partnership with the Philippines, our presence, and the discussion on agreements, particularly in the field of defense and security,” she said.

France is also looking to take part in this year’s Balikatan military exercises, the Philippines’ biggest annual drills with the US and allied forces.

“Last year, we could only be observers, and the year before was our first active participation,” Ms. Fontanel said.

Asked whether France would deploy ground or air units, she said: “Both.”

Balikatan is designed to strengthen defense cooperation and improve interoperability among allied forces, as Philippine vessels and aircraft face repeated encounters with Chinese ships and planes in contested waters.

A United Nations-backed tribunal in 2016 ruled that China’s sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea have no legal basis, a decision Beijing rejects.

The waterway is a key global trade route, with more than $3 trillion worth of commerce passing through it each year. — Adrian H. Halili