March 4, 2024 (Quezon City) – Assistant Secretary Gavin D. Edjawan, Officer-in-Charge of the Office for Strategic Assessments and International Affairs and the Assistant Secretary for Financial Management, received the delegation from the Bahrain Royal Guard Special Forces led by Lieutenant Colonel Fahad Jabor Akaif Hameed Alsowaidi, Second in Command, Royal Guard Special Forces, during the latter’s courtesy call at the Department of National Defense (DND).

Both officials looked forward to finalizing the proposed Philippines-Bahrain Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defense Cooperation, which will serve as the framework in formalizing defense and military relations between the two countries. Under the proposed MOU, other areas of cooperation could be explored, including high-level visits, as well as education and training exchanges, among others.

The Bahraini side underscored the need for countries to work together to address common defense and security challenges. Bahrain shared its robust joint military exercises with Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and United Kingdom (UK), and invited the Philippines to send observers to the next iterations of these exercises.

Emphasizing the importance of deepening cooperation with countries in the Southwest region, ASec. Edjawan mentioned that the DND sees Bahrain as one of its viable partners in the region and highlighted the shared values between the Philippines and Bahrain. The two officials also discussed the security of the sizeable community of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Bahrain, with the Bahraini government recognizing their contribution to their nation-building.

The courtesy call is part of the six-day official visit to the Philippines of the delegation from the Bahrain Royal Guard Special Forces, which will include visits to the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the special forces units of AFP Major Services.