The Philippine Navy (PN) said Wednesday, Feb. 19, that it engaged with its counterparts from Brunei, Canada, and South Korea on the sidelines of the fifth Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) in Bali, Indonesia.
Rear Admiral Joe Anthony Orbe, commander of Philippine Fleet and head of Philippine delegation to the exercise, held separate bilateral meetings with Captain Sahibul Bahari Bin Zainal Abidin, Chief of the Royal Brunei Navy; Commodore Jason Armstrong, Director of Force Development of the Royal Canadian Navy; and Rear Admiral Kim Tae Hoon, the Chief of Planning and Management Staff of the Republic of Korea Navy; to “enhance strategic cooperation, improve interoperability, and explore future maritime security initiatives.”
Orbe and Sahibul discussed key areas of cooperation including joint naval exercises, capacity-building initiatives, and shared security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
Meanwhile, Orbe and Armstrong agreed to enhance their navies’ interoperability particularly in areas disaster response coordination, as well as future opportunities for naval cooperation in the region.
For their part, Orbe and Kim talked about key security concerns and opportunities for enhanced joint naval exercises, underscoring the “strong defense ties between both nations and their shared commitment to regional stability.”
The PN sent a delegation to the MNEK which is being hosted by the Indonesia Navy.
The exercise, being held from Feb. 16 to 22, brought together representatives from 31 participating navies to reinforce multilateral cooperation and regional maritime security efforts.