Philippines, France sign Visiting Forces Agreement in ParisPhilippine Secretary of National Defense M. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and French Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans, Ms. Catherine Vautrin met for a bilateral meeting in Paris, during the landmark visit to France by the Philippines’ Defense Secretary, March 26, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and France signed a Visiting Forces Agreement on Thursday, March 26, making France the first European country to secure such a defense pact with Manila. Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro Jr. and French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin signed the agreement during a bilateral meeting at the École Militaire in Paris — Teodoro's first visit to France as defense chief. The agreement, formally called the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, provides the framework for Filipino and French military personnel to conduct joint activities and have greater cooperation in training, exercises and other operations. Three of those deals — with Japan, New Zealand and Canada — were concluded under the Marcos administration and the France agreement now makes it four.

Source: Philippine Star March 27, 2026 08:41 UTC