France opens defense attaché office in Manila

Posted to MSN (Jun 19, 2024): France opens defense attaché office in Manila (By Bernadette E. Tamayo/Manila Times)

FRANCE opened on Monday a Defense Attaché Office (DAO) in the Philippines to further bolster defense ties between the two countries.

The French Embassy in Manila said that Capt. Stéphan Litzler took over as its Defense Attaché to the Philippines and Micronesia.

"This important decision was in line with the strengthening of bilateral relations between France and the Philippines, as called for by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.," the embassy said in a statement.

"Since the beginning of the year, this rapprochement in the field of defense has already taken concrete form with the official visit of Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, chief of staff of the French Navy on April 24, France's active participation in the Balikatan exercise in April with the presence of the frigate Vendémiaire and the stopover of the destroyer Bretagne in Manila from May 31 to June 4," it added.

In July this year, the Philippines will host the first stopover of several combat and support aircraft, including 2 Rafales, as part of the French Air Force's annual Pegase deployment, the embassy said.

The DAO to the Philippines and Micronesia will also be composed of Col. Michel Midon, the armament attaché, who has been based in Manila since September 2023, and Command Master Sergeant Éric Thieffry, the embassy said.

https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/france-opens-defense-attach%C3%A9-office-in-manila/ar-BB1os7yD