Czech Republic stands ready to support the Philippines amid tensions in the South China Sea, Czech Ambassador to Manila Jana Šedivá said.
(Photo from Czech Ambassador to Manila Jana Šedivá's Facebook page)
The envoy stressed her country’s own Indo-Pacific strategy, the region that covers the resource-rich and disputed South China Sea.
“We wanted to show that we are partners and you can rely on us and whatever happens, you know even here it matters to us,” Šedivá assured during an interview aired on CNN Monday night, May 22.
“We are noticing what is going on here in West Philippine Sea,” she said, using the term used by the Aquino administration in referring to the South China Sea during the height of the arbitration case against Beijing.
The envoy also believed that “allies (are) coming and showing their support.”
Noting that the two countries already have an existing defense cooperation signed in 2017 that covers peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, defense logistics, and military training and education, the ambassador stressed that Czech Republic “can also offer so much.”
The official also said that Czech Republic can help improve the capabilities of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), particularly in aviation.
“We have some concrete projects in aviation, not really in defense, but namely coast guard and now these projects are still going on, so I really hope we can finalize because Czechs are famous for multitasking small aircrafts and planes and also maybe like sharing our systems,” she added.
In April, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala visited the Philippines and met with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. with the same message of improving the two countries’ defense cooperation.
He noted that defense and security cooperation are “very important in our relations,” citing Czech company Česká zbrojovka’s offer of “extensive modernization” to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).