Philippines, Italy forging defense cooperation agreement

The negotiation for Italy’s defense cooperation agreement with the Philippines is now making “progress” and developing “very positively”, Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Davide Giglio told the Manila Bulletin on Monday, Sept. 22, as the two countries work to review the framework for its defense pact.

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The envoy said a review of the general framework will be “the first step of a series of possible successive steps.”

“It is, of course, a process. Maybe the countries you have pointed out are at a more advanced stage of this process, so we will incrementally enhance our cooperation with the Philippines, starting from a general framework agreement which is being discussed by the two sides,” he explained. “But certainly, we are committed to a process of knowing each other, understanding what are the needs of both sides, and exchanging information.