The Philippines, through Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Theresa Lazaro, on Saturday signed agreements on digital and defense cooperation with Estonia and Italy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
In an X post, Lazaro said the signing of the Philippines-Italy Agreement on Defense Cooperation with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto aims to strengthen ties between the two countries.
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“On behalf of the Philippines, I signed the PH-Italy Agreement on Defense Cooperation with Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto in a side meeting held at the Munich Security Conference. This is another concrete step to move PH-Italy cooperation forward,” she said.
For its part, the Italian Defense Ministry highlighted that the agreement affirms the strength of bilateral dialogue and their shared intent to enhance cooperation.
“A key moment was the signing of the new Defense Agreement, which opens up new opportunities for the development of industrial capabilities while expanding operational, training, and education areas,” it said.
The ministry emphasized that the agreement focuses on the Indo-Pacific, a region of growing strategic importance, aiming to enhance synergies in the maritime and aerospace sectors and strengthen a long-term partnership.
Concurrently, Lazaro signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Digital Cooperation with Estonia, underscoring increased collaboration on cybersecurity and capacity building.
Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna expressed his country’s readiness to deepen cybersecurity cooperation with the Philippines.
“Estonia is ready for deeper cooperation with the Philippines in cybersecurity, e-governance, and digital ID systems,” his X post said.
The MSC, led by Chairman Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, runs from February 13 to 15.
The conference aims to address issues including European security and defense, the future of transatlantic relations, revitalizing multilateralism, differing visions of the global order, regional conflicts, and the security impacts of technological advances, among others.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Philippines signs pacts with Estonia, Italy at Munich Security Conference”
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