Secretary of National Defense (SND) Giberto C. Teodoro, Jr. received the Italian delegation led by Ambassador Marco Clemente and visiting Deputy Minister of Defence Matteo Perego di Cremnago during their courtesy visit to the Department of National Defense (DND) on July 11, 2023.

Both maritime nations looked forward to enhancing the defense partnership between the Philippines and Italy as both countries share interest in global peace and the freedoms guaranteed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two sides noted the 7th anniversary of the South China Sea (SCS) Arbitration Award on July 12, 2016, which upholds the primacy of the UNCLOS as the law of the sea, and for which Italy, among other states, has expressed firm support. Secretary Teodoro stressed the significance of broad international recognition of and support for the Award, which benefits all countries.

Further to cooperation in terms of acquisition of hard assets, Secretary Teodoro emphasized the importance of laying down a framework for defense cooperation, which will help build a foundation for resilience against future security challenges and also cover the enhancement of personnel capacities, including in the areas of maritime domain and the law of the sea.

The Italian Deputy Defence Minister’s brief visit to Manila came alongside the four (4)-day goodwill visit by ITS “Francesco Morosini”, one of the Italian Navy’s latest and most advanced multipurpose offshore patrol vessels. The Morosini is in the region to promote naval diplomacy and freedom of navigation in the SCS. The Deputy Minister’s visit as well as that of the Morosini signal Italy’s keen interest in fostering closer relations with the Philippines.