Phl, Spain sign bilateral defense cooperation

The Philippines and Spain signed a bilateral defense cooperation and held the first joint defense cooperation meeting, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said recently.

The Department of Defense (DND)/Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was headed by Defense Assistant Secretary for Assessments and International Affairs, Teodoro Cirilo Torralba III, and Defense Assistant Secretary for Logistics and Acquisition, Jesus Rey Avilla, who led Philippine participation in the inaugural Philippines-Spain Joint Defense Cooperation Committee Meeting (JDCC) held at the Spanish Ministry of Defense on Nov. 25 last year.

A memorandum of agreement on Logistics, Defense Materiel, Armaments, and Defense Industry Cooperation (LDMADIC) was signed between the Philippines and Spain.

The DFA said it is a necessary step in realizing government-to-government transactions for defense article procurement under the AFP Modernization Program.

The JDCC Terms of Reference, which will serve as the implementation platform for the Philippine-Spain MOU on Defense Cooperation, was signed on Oct. 3, 2011.

Under the auspices of the JDCC, the participants held the Philippine Army–Spanish Army Bilateral Exchange to strengthen the military relationship between both armed forces.