Manila and Paris vow to pursue key defence agreement

Defence ministers for the Philippines and France vowed to pursue an agreement that would allow them to deploy troops to each other’s territories, the latest such deal sought by the archipelagic nation located in the strategic South China Sea.

Speaking following a meeting in Manila, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu said they agreed to seek authorisation from their respective presidents and relevant agencies to start negotiations for a visiting forces agreement.