Broadening Philippine-Australia Defence Relations in the Post 9/11 Era: Issues and Prospects

The Philippines and Australia have a strong history of diplomatic and economic relations. Yet, their defence relations are still weak. Although the 1995 Defence Cooperation Agreement has provided the two countries a framework to cooperate closely on defence, the scope of their cooperation is still confined to confidence-building measures. There is a need to broaden their defence relations in the light of their mutual recognition of strategic interests in regional security, particularly in the context of the war on terrorism in Southeast Asia. Strong Philippine-Australia defence relations will expand the web of bilateral defence relations of like-minded states in the Asia Pacific to foster regional peace and stability. The Philippines and Australia have a strong potential for being defence partners in regional security by virtue of geographic proximity and cultural familiarity. But the glue that could help bond the two countries more closely is their shared regional security perspective.