HINDI imposibleng makipag sabayan ang Philippine Navy at sumabak sa joint naval exercises at maritime security cooperation sa French Armed Forces.
Ito ay makarang mabangit ni Commanding General, Joint Forces in Asia-Pacific (ALPACI) at Commander, French Armed Forces in French Polynesia, Rear Adm. Jean-Mathieu Rey RAdm ang isyu hinggil sa possible future exercises sa pagitan ng dalawang hukbong dagat.
Bumisita si Rear Adm. Jean-Mathieu Rey sa Philippine Navy (PN) headquarters isang araw bago ang gaganaping official port call ng French Surveillance Frigate Vendémiaire (F734) sa Pilipinas.
Ang nasabing pagdalaw ay kaugnay sa 4 days port call ng F734’ sa Manila simula kahapon na tatagal hanggang March 11, 2022.
Ayon kay Navy Spokesman Cdr. Benjo F Negranza, Director, Naval Public Affairs Office, ang nasabing port call ay bahagi ng French Navy’s deployment sa Asia upang makatulong pananatili ng regional stability, promote international rule of law, at malinang ang kooperasyon sa hanay ng Asian countries.
Si Rear Adm. Rey ay pinagkalooban ng arrival honors ng bisitahin niya si Flag Officer In Command, PN, Vice Adm. Adeluis Bordado.
Kasama ni Rear Adm Rey sa kanyang courtesy call si French Ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. Michele Boccoz at Non-Resident Defense Attaché of France to the Philippines, Col. Emmanuel Peltriaux; at military assistant, Lt. Eric Grauliere.
Naging tampok sa talakayan ang maritime security, protection of natural resources at sea, at possible future exercise engagements, na ayon kay Rear Adm. Rey ay “good opportunities to improve the Philippine and French navies’ knowledge and interoperability.”
Kaugnay sa posibleng future naval exercises s apagitan ng dalawang hukbong dagat , inihayag ni Rear Adm. Rey ang layunin ng French Navy na itaas ang level of cooperation sa e PN, partikular sa deployment ng kanilang amphibious and training task force sa taong 2023.
“We are ready to work with your forces at sea… We need to protect; we need to defend the freedom of navigation including [on] the West Philippine Sea,” ani RAdm Rey .
Pinasalamatan naman ni Vice Adm. Bordado ang French Navy s akanilang tuloy tuloy na pagsuporta sa PN. Sumang-ayon din ito na magkaroon ng exploratory talks hinngil future participation ng daalwang hukbo sa bilateral and multilateral exercises at iba pang possible areas of collaboration. (VICTOR BALDEMOR)