EXECUTIVE Secretary Lucas Bersamin met with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles on Friday to discuss deepening defense cooperation between the Philippines and Australia.

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Marles, who is in the country for the second Philippines-Australia Defense Ministers Meeting, paid a courtesy call to Bersamin at the Presidential Guest House in Malacañan Palace.

He is also scheduled to observe Exercise Amphibious and Land Operations (Alon) 2025, Australia’s largest overseas joint training activity this year.

The exercise involves over 3,600 personnel from the Philippines, Australia, the United States and Canada. In a statement on Wednesday, Marles said he would be meeting with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to discuss ways “to deepen Australia-Philippines defense cooperation by building capacity and strengthening interoperability.”

The partnership aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for stronger regional cooperation to safeguard stability in the Indo-Pacific.

“Our cooperation through Exercise Alon reflects a shared commitment to working together to maintain a peaceful, secure, and prosperous region where sovereignty is respected,” Marles said.

The two countries have a robust and evolving defense relationship rooted in several key bilateral frameworks.

One of these is the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, ratified in 2012, which provides the legal foundation for troop visits and joint activities.

In 2022, they also concluded a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement and a memorandum of understanding on Defense Industry Cooperation and Logistics.

In 2023, the diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Australia were elevated from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic partnership, paving the way for broader cooperation in maritime security, counterterrorism, and defense policy.

The Philippines and Australia established formal diplomatic relations in 1946 and will celebrate 80 years of bilateral relations in 2026.