The Philippines and the Czech Republic are seeking to expand defense cooperation in areas such as military education, cyber defense, logistics, and defense industry development, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Tuesday.
The discussions took place during an introductory meeting between DND Senior Undersecretary Irineo Espino and Czech non-resident military and air attaché Lt. Col. Petr Rusinov at Camp Aguinaldo.
According to the DND, both sides reviewed the outcome of last year’s talks between Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and former Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová and explored additional areas for long-term defense cooperation.
Espino also briefed the Czech official on regional security developments, including the recently concluded Philippines-US Exercise Balikatan 2026, which involved participation and observation from several foreign militaries.
Rusinov, who observed portions of the military exercises, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to witness the large-scale drills firsthand.
The DND said the Czech Republic also reiterated its support for the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling on the South China Sea and emphasized the importance of freedom of navigation and adherence to international law.
Although the Czech Republic is landlocked, Rusinov said Prague remains committed to supporting international maritime security and rules-based order.
Both countries also discussed possible government-to-government procurement arrangements and future cooperation in training exchanges, cyber defense, logistics, and defense industry development.