Outgoing EU envoy, Spanish defense attaché render farewell calls on SND
July 6, 2024July 6, 2024 (Quezon City) – H.E. Luc Véron, Outgoing Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to the Philippines, and Colonel Javier Martin Gil, Outgoing Defense Attaché of Spain to the Philippines, rendered their farewell calls on Secretary of National Defense (SND) Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr, on July 2 and 3, 2024, respectively.
During the courtesy call of Ambassador Véron, Secretary Teodoro recalled his candid exchanges with EU High Representative / Vice President of the Commission (HR/VP) Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD), as well as expressed his profound appreciation for the EU’s principled position on the South China Sea (SCS) / West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue. The EU Ambassador reiterated the EU’s pronouncement to uphold and respect the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 SCS Arbitration Award, including the prohibition on the use of force or coercion.
Besides the recent events in the WPS and incidents of disinformation, the Secretary and the EU Ambassador also discussed developments in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the transfer of the internal security mandate from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to the Philippine National Police (PNP), as well as prevailing challenges in national disaster risk reduction and management in the Philippines.
In his meeting with Defense Attaché Col. Martin, the Secretary expressed his desire to increase bilateral defense exchanges between the Philippines and Spain, noting the two countries’ natural relations founded on historical ties and shared values. The Secretary looked forward to meeting the incoming Spanish Defense Attaché soon and engaging Spain in areas of interest such as emergency operations or humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR).