The Philippine Navy will be hosting an important meeting of naval forces in the pacific region to promote cooperation and strengthen partnerships on maritime issues in the region.
The 17th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) will be held virtually on October 26 and 27 under the theme "Effective Ocean Governance for Regional Partnership and Stability".
The WPNS is a series of biennial meetings of the Pacific nations held on even-numbered years. The Philippines was supposed to host its 17th iteration in May 2020 but was put on hold due to the pandemic.
A total of 20 WPNS members and eight WPNS Observers represented by their chiefs of navies or designated representatives from countries within and bordering the Pacific Region will converge to discuss and address naval matters of mutual concern.
This year, Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Adm. Adeluis Bordado is the chairman of the entire proceedings.
The objectives of the WPNS are to discuss and develop cooperative initiatives, and identify those that merit further development and practice; explore and develop new ways of enhancing friendship and professional cooperation; develop Navy-to-Navy relationships at a variety of levels to build confidence and trust for today and the future; exchange information on a broad range of maritime matters of mutual interest; and ensure lines of communication are established and maintained in order to facilitate continued liaison among delegates outside of Workshops and Symposia.