MANILA, Philippines- Magsisimula na sa susunod na buwan ng Mayo ang negosasyon sa pagitan ng France at Pilipinas para sa posibleng Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), mapahihintulutan nito ang French forces na magsanay kasama ang kanilang Filipino counterparts.
Sinabi ni Ambassador Marie Fontanel na ang defense committee meeting sa pagitan ng dalawang bansa ay idaraos sa Paris sa ikatlong linggo ng Mayo para pag-usapan “how to proceed with negotiations” para sa military accord.
“We will have an opportunity in May to maybe start officially the negotiations, or at least discuss the modalities because there will be a meeting in Paris of the cooperation in defense committee, which is a regular committee, that has already taken place last year, (and held) every 18 months. It’s a regular one,” ayon kay Fontanel, sabay sabing ang nasabing pag-uusap ay nakatakda sa May 20 o May 21.
“That’s the perfect occassion to officially discuss the ways to negotiate the VFA,” dagdag niya.
Matatandaang noong Disyembre 2023, tinintahan nina Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. at French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu sa Maynila ang isang letter of intent para palakasin ang ‘defense and security cooperation’ ng dalawang bansa, na ayon kay Fontanel ay kabilang dito ang kanilang “commitment to start negotiations for a VFA.”
Layunin ng nalalapit na bilateral defense meeting sa France “to make progress on that.”
Samantala, sinabi pa rin ng France na nananatili itong “committed” na tiyakin na mananaig ang “rule of law” sa South China Sea at mananatili itong “free and open.” Gayundin, inihayag nito ang kanilang suporta para sa 2016 arbitral ruling.
“It is a matter of principle that we contribute to compliance to freedom of navigation and overflights and UNCLOS in the South China Sea and everywhere in the world,” ayon naman kay France’s envoy for the Indo-Pacific Marc Abensour sa Maynila.
“It is also in that perspective that we recall the decision of the arbitral ruling,” dagdag niya.
Sa konteksto ng France’s Indo-Pacific strategy, ang Pilipinas ayon kay Abensour ay “key partner” para sa France dahil ang dalawang bansa ay maritime nations.
Binigyang-diin pa rin ni Abensour na “France has a stake in the Indo-Pacific as it has overseas territories in the region, which is home to over 1.6 million French nationals.”
Habang sinasabi nito na mahalaga ang patuloy na pakikipag-ugnayan at pakikipagtulungan sa Tsina, sinabi ni Abensour na kontra naman ang France sa “any threat or coercion which is contrary to rule of law.”
Nilinaw ni Abensour na walang kinikilingan ang France sa years-long terrtorial row sa South China Sea, subalit sinabi nito na kailangang lutasin ng magkabilang panig ang isyung ito sa pamamagitan ng dayalogo at mapayapang paraan.
“We are fully committed to freedom of navigation and overflight and UNCLOS and shared commitment that we have with many partners in the Indo-Pacific,” giit ni Abensour. Kris Jose
