The Philippine Senate on Thursday concurred with the ratification of the country's visiting forces agreement (VFA) with France, a military pact that will allow Filipino and French troops to operate legally in each other's territories, as Manila moves to diversify its security partnerships.

With 17 affirmative votes and no objections, the chamber passed Senate Resolution No. 650, ratifying the agreement, which sets up a framework for joint military exercises and defense cooperation between the two nations. The pact was signed on March 26.

"This is a historical moment because this treaty ratification of our visiting forces with France is the first for a European nation," Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said.

Under the Philippine Constitution, treaties are valid and effective only upon concurrence by at least two-thirds of the 24-member Senate, making Thursday's vote a key step toward the agreement's implementation.

Visiting forces agreements are narrower in scope than mutual defense treaties: rather than obliging either party to come to the other's armed defense, they establish the legal status of troops taking part in exercises and other activities on the host country's territory.

Manila has been seeking to widen its network of security partners as tensions persist in the South China Sea, where the Philippines and China hold overlapping claims. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal ruled that Beijing's expansive claims in the waterway have no legal basis, in a case brought by Manila — a decision China has rejected.

The Southeast Asian nation has so far signed VFAs with the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Canada, while similar talks with the United Kingdom are ongoing. If concluded, a pact with London would make the United Kingdom the second European nation with such an agreement with Manila. Its pact with the United States, a longtime treaty ally, was signed in 1998.

France, a European Union member and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council that maintains overseas territories in the Indo-Pacific, has in recent years pursued a greater security role in the region.

Meanwhile, Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres C. Manhit urged the government to leverage the new connection to further broaden the country's defense partnerships.

"The Stratbase Institute looks forward to the effective implementation of the agreement and for the Philippines to be able to leverage this EU connection to diversify its defense partnerships to secure a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific," he said in a statement.

Mr. Manhit said the partnership will improve Philippine-French coordination for maritime security, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response.

The next milestones to watch are the agreement's implementation and the progress of the parallel negotiations with the United Kingdom, Manila's other prospective European partner.

— Francessca S. Abalos

Source: BusinessWorld