11 Aussie military officers now in PHL for research visit

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 10): 11 Aussie military officers now in PHL for research visit

Eleven senior military officers from the Australian Defence College are in a Foreign Research Visit (FRV) in the Philippines from April 5 to 12.

The delegates are students of the Defense and Strategic Studies course in the Australian Center for Defence and Strategic Studies (CDSS).

They are headed by retired Brig. Gen. Mick Kehoe, faculty staff of CDSS and will include eight senior military officers from Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Oman.

The FRV aims to enhance the participants' awareness of major social, economic, political and security issues in Australia and its allied country, the Philippines.

Furthermore, it is an opportunity for the course members to develop relationships with key official and decision-makers in the country.

During their stay in the Philippines, the FRV delegates visited the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters, National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) and the AFP museum.

They will also visit the headquarters of Western Command and Naval Forces West.

They further intend to visit Intramuros in Manila and Corregidor Island.

The AFP in coordination with the NDCP and the Australian Embassy-Manila will facilitate and provide security coverage to the 11 delegates.

The AFP continues to strengthen its defense relations with other countries by keeping all its channels open for collaborative activities which include military exercises, seminars and workshops, policy consultations, and exchange of personnel for education and training.

Currently, the AFP has Bilateral Security and International Defense Relations with 23 countries in Asia, America, Australia, and Europe.

International defense relations activities such as the FRV affirm the country’s unswerving commitment towards a more secure Asia-Pacific region.

Furthermore, it signifies the healthy, dynamic and beneficial relations between the AFP and other countries’ military.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=634126