Philippines, Netherlands pledge deeper defense and cyber security cooperation

The Philippines and Netherlands reaffirmed their bilateral relations by pledging deeper coordination on defense and security matters, particularly in combating cybercrimes and espionage during meetings on the sidelines of the 21st International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren expressed their commitment to enhancing cooperation on these issues, with Ollongren acknowledging that the Dutch government understands the security concerns of the Philippines.

Teodoro emphasized the importance of engaging with The Netherlands in combatting cybercrime and espionage, prompting Ollongren to respond positively by saying 'we are moving in the right direction.'

The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, held from May 31 to June 2, was attended by global leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who participated to garner support for a peace summit planned for June 15-16 in Switzerland.