Hon Judith Collins KC
Minister of Defence

New Zealand and the Philippines will this week sign an agreement to enable the two countries’ militaries to work more closely, Defence Minister Judith Collins says.

Ms Collins will travel to the Philippines today to sign the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, which highlights the importance New Zealand places on working closely with our partners, she says.

“It formally sets the legal framework for engagement between our respective militaries, better facilitating ongoing cooperation, activities and exercises in each of our territories.

“The agreement follows a commitment made by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr during Mr Luxon’s visit to Manila last year.”

It will now undergo a final ratification process in the Philippine Senate.

While in the Philippines, Ms Collins will meet with the President and hold a bilateral meeting with counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, the Secretary of National Defense.

“We are committed to reinvigorating our security relationships, to playing our part, and working with regional partners such as the Philippines to uphold the international rules-based order,” Ms Collins says.

Ms Collins returns to New Zealand on 2 May.

Notes:

• The Status of Visiting Forces Agreement is a treaty-level document that sets out the legal conditions for military cooperation between our countries, including the responsibilities and obligations on both sides.
• This agreement with the Philippines builds on two previous agreements that provide for practical defence cooperation, the Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement (2024) and the Defence Cooperation Arrangement (2012).
• New Zealand has a number of similar agreements, the most recent being one signed with Fiji in 2023.

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