The potential for maritime cooperation is as vast as the ocean itself — from defense cooperation to economic cooperation. The Philippines and France, as two “Blue Nations,” share similarities and affinities in terms of features and range of maritime resources.
As Blue Nations, both countries face shared challenges thereby opening the doors for strategic collaboration. Key areas that may be explored include environment, biodiversity, blue economy, and maritime defense and security.
This was discussed during the second installment of Stratbase ADR’s Blue Talks series, “Exploring Maritime Cooperation: The Role of International Partnerships on Maritime Security.”
The first thing that comes to mind is the defense and protection of our seas as part of our territory. The challenges that the Philippines is currently facing in the West Philippine Sea highlight the importance of deterring the aggressive actions of countries bent on disrupting the rule of law and upsetting the rules-based international order.
And, indeed, H.E. Marie Fontanel, Ambassador of France to the Philippines, reiterated the many firsts in the Franco-Philippines relations in the maritime domain. These milestones include the Balikatan exercise, the La Pérouse exercise, and the upcoming visit of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. These emphasize the shared commitment to regional stability, freedom of navigation, and respect for sovereignty, over and above key initiatives such as the blue talks series.
Apart from France, collaboration with other like-minded partners is essential for ensuring regional maritime security. During the forum Indonesian Ambassador Agus Widjojo underscored the importance of inclusiveness, collective commitment, and trust as key pillars of cooperation. His sentiments were echoed by Vietnamese Ambassador Lai Thai Binh, who emphasized that strong partnerships and a steadfast commitment to the rule of law are crucial in addressing today’s complex challenges.
Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya, EU Ambassador Massimo Santoro, and Australian Acting Ambassador Dr. Moya Collett all highlighted the need to uphold international law, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, where illegal, aggressive, and dangerous actions continue to pose significant threats.
For the Philippines, these strategic collaborations play a critical role in safeguarding maritime security. To strengthen its defense posture, Manila is actively pursuing various initiatives, including cross-training programs, bilateral patrols, and other cooperative engagements.
But maritime security transcends physically securing boundaries. It is also about ensuring the economic security of nations. This larger sphere includes the environment, biodiversity, and the blue economy. It is about the efficient functioning of maritime trade and shipping routes, which are vital to global trade and are an important aspect of the Philippine economy.
The French ambassador herself said: “while defense is central to maritime security, it is not the only aspect. For an archipelagic nation like the Philippines, maritime safety is equally critical. Ensuring the safe and efficient transport of people and goods is essential for economic prosperity, just as territorial and maritime sovereignty is crucial for national security.”
This sentiment was echoed by diplomatic representatives of Japan, the European Union, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Australia, all of whom were present in the forum.
Indeed, beyond defending our territorial integrity while upholding peace and being resilient amidst the danger posed by the aggressive actions of external actors, securing vital trade routes that enable global trade, modernizing ports, and ensuring a just management of maritime industries is critical to foster sustained economic growth.
As a maritime and archipelagic country, the maritime industry is a lifeline of the Philippines necessitating increased support for its comprehensive and holistic development.
For one, ensuring maritime safety is crucial for boosting the Philippine economy, as the country’s trade and inter-island connectivity rely heavily on maritime activities. Through strengthened partnerships and comprehensive safety protocols, the Philippines aims to protect its maritime interests while contributing to global trade and sustainability goals.
Secondly, the shipping industry is an important sector for the country. It is a key driver of economic activity through the facilitation of the movement of goods, services, and people. As such, it is important to build the industry, including the modernization of the network of ports in the country. Given the Philippines’ strategic location in the Indo-Pacific region, these are instrumental to economic activity by connecting our islands to both domestic and international markets.
Maritime cooperation knows no bounds. It is a critical area where the President’s “economic security is national security” dictum is clearly illustrated.
All these, taken together, enable us to ensure sovereignty, prosperity, and security, and to uphold the rules-based order. To achieve these, only collaboration will set in motion a broad range of initiatives to address the multifaceted challenges facing the global maritime domain.
Victor Andres “Dindo” C. Manhit is the president of the Stratbase ADR Institute.