Philippines, Malaysia reaffirm defense ties at ADMM

The Philippines and Malaysia reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering defense relations during a meeting at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Retreat in Penang on Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. met with Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin to discuss maritime security, counter-terrorism efforts, capacity-building programs, and cooperation in human capital development, including cybersecurity.

Both officials thanked Malaysia for its support during recent typhoons in the Philippines and emphasized the importance of upgrading humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) capabilities within ASEAN.

Teodoro stressed the need for diplomatic and constructive cooperation despite territorial disputes between the two countries to ensure regional security and stability.

Additionally, Teodoro met with Thailand's Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on the sidelines of the ADMM Retreat to discuss ongoing defense cooperation initiatives such as intelligence sharing, defense acquisition, training exchanges, HADR, and military medicine.