High-ranking officials of the Philippine Navy (PN) and the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) engaged in a productive discussion in Busan, South Korea recently which showed the “developing cooperation” between the two navies.
Commodore Jose Ma. Ambrosio Ezpeleta, PN Chief of Naval Staff, led the Philippine delegation who attended the second iteration of the Navy-to-Navy Talks (NTNT) between the PN and ROKN at the Busan Naval Base last Dec. 1.
The Philippine delegation was welcomed by Vice Adm. Kang Dong Hun, the Commander of the Fleet of ROKN; and Rear Adm. Kang Jeongho, the Head of Policy of ROKN, at the ROKN Headquarters.
“The highlight of the talks focused on education and training, people-to-people exchanges, logistics cooperation, combined exercises, and ship visits,” Commander Benjo Negranza, PN spokesperson, said on Saturday, Dec. 3.
Negranza said the PN’s engagement with the ROKN “furthers the Command’s endeavors to foster bilateral ties and lasting relationships in the pursuit of regional cooperation and stability.”
The meeting was a follow-up to the first NTNT made in 2020 as PN and ROKN shared best practices on how they maintained maritime operational capability amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The NTNT was held under the Terms of Reference (TOR) signed by PN and ROKN in 2019,
One of the specifics under the TOR is the conduct of biennial Navy talks which provide a forum for regular dialogue and information exchange between the PN and ROKN and to discuss matters of common importance and to promote mutual interests.