PRESS RELEASE : Defence Minister Baroness Goldie reaffirms UK commitment to the Philippines [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 October 2023.
UK Defence Minister Baroness Goldie celebrates the relationship between the UK and the Philippines during her visit to Manila and Legazpi this week.
Baroness Goldie will meet with Defence Minister Teodoro on Wednesday in Manila. They will discuss the strengthening UK – Philippines relationship and shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Reinforcing the UK’s commitment to the region, the Ministers also discussed the UK’s recent Integrated Review Refresh and the importance of maritime security and upholding maritime law.
The Minister will visit HMS Spey in Legazpi and attend the closing ceremonies of naval exercise SAMA SAMA, supporting international defence cooperation and the rules-based international order. HMS Spey will observe the joint PH-US maritime exercise, alongside Japan, Australia and Canada. Together with our allies, the UK is committed to freedom of navigation.
HMS Spey, the greenest ship in the Royal Navy, is on a five-year operation to the Indo-Pacific region alongside her sister ship HMS Tamar. Working with partners, the ship is helping tackle security challenges and support nations to deal with the impacts of climate change.
To pay her respects to all those fallen, the Minister will lay a wreath at the Commonwealth War Grave in the American Cemetery in Manila. The CWGC work tirelessly to maintain cemeteries around the world to ensure that the fallen will always be appropriately remembered.
UK Defence Minister, Baroness Goldie, said:
The UK remains committed to our relationship with the Philippines, and I am pleased both to be visiting for the first time and to be the first UK defence Minister to visit in many years.
I look forward to visiting Exercise SAMA SAMA, and discussing how the UK and the Philippines can deepen our defence cooperation as part of our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Baroness Goldie will discuss the UK’s enduring commitment to the Indo-Pacific and regional peace and security during her visit. The UK Government is committed to further strengthening ties with the Philippines.
