The Philippines is a vital security spouse for Australia, and we continue to paint strongly in combination with our shared commitment to an open, inclusive and extremely rich Indo-Pacific.
Today he marked my first stopover in the Philippines as Minister of Defense. I am very happy to be able to meet in Manila with my valuable Filipino counterpart, Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana. At our meeting, we discussed our respective responses to COVID -19 and our shared commitment to regional security and stability.
As a testament to our close partnership, we noticed that our respective advocacy organizations had uncovered cutting-edge tactics to further deepen our COVID-19 defense cooperation.
This includes continued counter-terrorism cooperation under our enhanced defence cooperation programme, which was established in December 2019 and is based on Australia’s for Operation AUGURY-Philippines, which has provided counter-terrorism capability education to more than 10,000 members of the armed forces. Philippine forces between 2017 and 2019.
We note that we also continue to deepen our cooperation in conducting COVID security training between the Philippine armed forces and the Australian Defence Forces, as well as the cooperation of the defence industry.
In our discussions, we affirm our unusual interest in maintaining maritime security in the region, adding the South China Sea, and our right of all states to exercise freedom of navigation and flyover in accordance with the United Nations Convention on Law. of the sea.
During my visit, I was pleased to announce that Australia will supply up to $ 2 million in medical and non-public protective devices to infectious disease facilities at the five main Philippine Armed Forces medical centers across the country.
This will come with parts and appliances such as beds, mechanical fans, electrocardiograms, laboratory refrigerators, center monitors, pulse oximeters, UV sterilizers and non-public protective devices.
This contribution is based on the $1 million Australia provided through our Enhanced Defense Cooperation Program for the expansion of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Victorian Moon Medical Center in Manila prior to this year.
All facets of this are carried out in strict compliance with the protective and fitness measures to mitigate the dangers of COVID-19.
When I return to Australia, I will meet all fitness requirements, adding 14-day quarantine.