Philippines, France sign status of forces agreement

During the one-on-one meeting, Teodoro and Vautrin had discussions on the “current regional issues” in the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, South-West Asia and Europe.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. and French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin signed the Visiting Forces Agreement at the sidelines of the 2026 Paris Defense and Strategy Dialogue. Photo from Department of National Defense.

Manuel Mogato | March 28, 2026

Paris — The Philippines signed its sixth status of forces agreement with France, allowing the European power to send troops to the country for training and exercises.

Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. and French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin signed the Visiting Forces Agreement at the sidelines of the 2026 Paris Defense and Strategy Dialogue.

“The agreement will greatly bolster bilateral cooperation and offer an adequate level of legal protection to the joint activities between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the French Armed Forces,” Teodoro and Vautrin said in a joint statement.

“Secretary Teodoro and Minister Vautrin reaffirmed their determination for a stronger long-term partnership and the common will to pursue the objectives of the December 2023 Letter of Intent, especially regarding the legal framework of the defense relationship.”

During the one-on-one meeting, Teodoro and Vautrin had discussions on the “current regional issues” in the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, South-West Asia and Europe.(Also read: Teodoro: Prepare for a conventional war scenario)

Based on the joint statement, the two ministers emphasized the importance of multilateralism, rules-based international order, and “called for the peaceful resolution of disputes and the strengthening of supply chain resilience in the context of crisis.”

Teodoro said he agreed with the French minister to push for the adherence to spirit and provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award that invalidated China’s excessive claim in the South China Sea.

“The Philippines also welcomed France’s rapprochement towards ASEAN and the ADMM-Plus, and pointed out the very valuable participation of French representatives to the Expert Working Groups on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response and Maritime Security,” Teodoro added.

“Secretary Teodoro and Minister Vautrin acknowledged the positive development of the cooperation, demonstrated by the regular convening of the bilateral defense dialogues, visits by defense and armed forces delegations, regular educational exchanges, port visits and aerial stopovers, as well as naval and disaster response training activities,” the joint statement said.

The defense agreement between the Philippines and France comes after a similar deal with Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.

Teodoro said the two sides had ssigned the agreement in record time “because of the fact that our two countries have had years of trust and confidence in working and dealing with one another.”

“And we have shared values, shared objectives and shared visions for both our future generations and the current generations. So this is a function of stewardship in several things, in enhancing both our individual and collective defense capabilities,” said Teodoro.

He also cited the commitment of the two sides to protecting “international order.”

“And lastly, it is a recognition of the contributions of our people to each other’s countries,” added Teodoro.

He said the agreement is a recognition of the commitment to safeguard the safety and well-being of people from both sides “wherever they may be, whether in France or in the Philippines or wherever where we can both help each other.”

Teodoro said the agreement is a “manifestation of the need for cross regional cooperation in security and defense.”

“And it is a celebration of convergence. And by convergence we do not necessarily mean combined operations of Philippine troops and French troops in one area. But both of us perhaps even working separately in areas where we have capabilities and influence for a shared goal and purpose,” added Teodoro.