The Philippines and France are working together to deepen maritime ties in the face of increasing security and environmental threats, French Ambassador Marie Fontanel said.

Speaking during the final installment of “Blue Talks” as part of the Blue Nations initiative of the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), the ambassador cited a “renewed bilateral cooperation” between the two countries after the letter of intent between their defense ministers in December last year.

“Your leadership, your experience, in defending international norms are essential to the stability of the region. I want to highlight here the ever-deepening relationship between France and the Philippines as maritime security is concerned. Since the signature of the Letter of Intent between our Ministers of Armed Forces in December 2023, our bilateral cooperation has gained new momentum,” Fontanel said.

“This landmark agreement set the foundations for closer defense collaboration, capacity-building, and regular exchanges on strategic challenges, particularly in the maritime domain. Our engagement has moved beyond declarations — towards tangible joint initiatives, information-sharing, and trust-building,” she added.

Fontanel highlighted that such agreements and the Blue Talks conference “strengthen the resilience of our societies and safeguard the stability of our common region.”

“Thanks to the significant level of trust we now share, we must continue to exchange our assessments of the asymmetric threats we face collectively,” she said.

The envoy likewise underscored the role of the Philippines “as an essential voice” in pursuing the rule of law and international order, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.

Fontanel called these two as the “cornerstone of international jurisprudence.”

But beyond the security and sovereignty challenges, the ambassador also reminded that countries must work together to address climate change, illegal trafficking, and disinformation.

“France and the Philippines are working together to integrate environmental sustainability and social inclusion into our maritime agenda,” she said.

The “Blue Talks” was conducted in partnership with policy think-tank Stratbase Institute and the French Embassy in the Philippines.

During the conference, Stratbase Institute President Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit also emphasized France’s role as a “steadfast partner” of the Philippines in its current maritime issues with China that threaten the country’s sovereign rights, freedom of navigation, and global trade.

“Effective maritime governance is not only defending one’s territory but also ensuring the seas remain a shared space of peace, prosperity, and sustainability, and France remains a steadfast partner of the Philippines in this endeavor,” he said.

“We believe that the Philippines cannot—and should not—stand alone. We reaffirm our commitment to promoting cooperation among like-minded states such as France, upholding international law, and ensuring a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific,” Manhit added.