Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles held the 2nd Philippines-Australia Defense Ministers' Meeting on August 22, 2025 in Manila, the Philippines. The principals reaffirmed defense cooperation as a vital pillar of the Philippines-Australia Strategic Partnership.
The Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister committed to deepening defense cooperation between the Philippines and Australia amidst the challenging security environment, increasing strategic competition and unprecedented military build-up taking place in the Indo-Pacific without reassurance or transparency.
The Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister underscored the importance of a secure and stable Indo-Pacific region where sovereignty is respected, international law is adhered to, and nations exercise their rights free from coercion. The principals reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN centrality in the regional security architecture and emphasized the importance of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus as a platform for practical cooperation and confidence-building.
The Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister reiterated their concern that Russia's invasion of Ukraine had serious implications for security, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond and underscored their desire to see a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. They called on regional countries to prevent their companies from supplying dual-use goods to Russia's military. Both sides underscored their serious concern on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) export of ballistic missiles, artillery shells, and other military materiel to Russia for use against Ukraine and Russia's training of DPRK soldiers involving arms or related materiel. This constitutes a further breach of international law, as well as the continued launching of ballistic and other missiles by the DPRK, in contravention of United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and which pose further threats to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.
The Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister expressed serious concern over the situation in the South China Sea, particularly dangerous and coercive actions by China against Philippine vessels. They reaffirmed that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award is final and binding on the parties and underscored the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They emphasized the need for all states to pursue the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly UNCLOS. They resolved to continue working together to uphold international law and support regional maritime security.
The Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister reviewed the progress of bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries and committed to deepening collaboration in line with the Philippines' and Australia's defense priorities and national objectives. They welcomed developing enhanced frameworks while strengthening the implementation of existing agreements, particularly the Philippines-Australia Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), the Mutual Logistic Support Arrangement (MLSA), and the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Industry Cooperation and Logistics (LDIC).
The Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed new cooperation on defense infrastructure development in the Philippines. Both sides agreed to undertake projects that increase our combined collective capability, enhance interoperability, and strengthen bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation. These projects will strengthen the Philippines' territorial defense capabilities in line with its Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept and the Philippines will maintain full sovereignty over all its sites.
The Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister recognized progress towards updating the 1995 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperative Defense Activities. Through the signing of the Statement of Intent on Enhanced Defense Cooperation, the Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister agreed to:
- Develop an enhanced bilateral defense cooperation framework focusing on priority areas to guide defense cooperation activities, training, and interoperability;
- Strengthen and synchronize bilateral defense and military dialogue architecture;
- Develop a framework for enhancing the exchange of information between our defense organizations;
- Deepen mutual understanding and frameworks for defense cooperation in search and rescue procedures, maritime domain awareness, and the professional practice of accredited Australian Defence Force personnel; and
Progress arrangements for Australia's construction, use, upgrade, and maintenance of defense infrastructure in the Philippines, consistent with Philippine sovereignty and ownership.
The Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed the importance of regional defense cooperation in promoting the collective security and stability of the Indo-Pacific. The principals expressed their shared commitment to increase multilateral defense cooperation with key partners. Building on the commitments of the Defense Ministers' Meeting in Singapore on 31 May 2025 with Japan and the United States, the principals welcomed the enhanced defense cooperation between the four countries, including through regular Maritime Cooperative Activities in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and activities that build capacity and strengthen interoperability.
The Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister welcomed the close coordination with like-minded partners in joint exercises that strengthen collective deterrence, uphold the rules-based international order, and support the region's security. The principals welcomed continued participation of both armed forces in key bilateral and multilateral exercises, including Exercise ALON 2025, which has emerged as the flagship military exercise between the Philippines and Australia. Exercise ALON 2025 is Australia's largest exercise overseas this year and builds upon the Philippines' participation in Exercise TALISMAN SABRE for the first time this year. Both sides emphasized the value of increasing the scale and complexity of such activities to address shared security challenges.
The Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister committed to sustaining the momentum of
defense cooperation and directed their respective departments to ensure the timely implementation of agreed priorities. They resolved to meet again in Australia in 2026 for the 3rd Philippines-Australia Defense Ministers' Meeting.
