The Philippines and France have strengthened their bilateral and diplomatic relations with the signing of several agreements ranging from transportation, maritime security, search and rescue operations to climate resiliency.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. meets French Minister for Foreign Trade, International Financing, and French Nationals Abroad Laurent Saint-Martin and his delegation during a courtesy call in Malacañang on April 10, 2025. (Photo from Embassy of France in the Philippines)
A series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) by the French Embassy in Manila on Friday, April 11, showed French Minister for Foreign Trade, International Financing, and French Nationals Abroad Laurent Saint-Martin in a meeting with various officials from the Philippine government and the private sector.
The French Minister also paid a courtesy call to President Marcos at Malacañan Palace on Thursday, April 10. He was in the country from April 10 to 11.
In an X post, the French Embassy said that Saint-Martin and Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon signed a Joint Declaration “to advance the partnership between France and the Philippines in supporting the country's air, railway, and maritime capacity.”
A separate signing ceremony also showed the French minister, Dizon and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commander Admiral Ronnie Gavan for the maintenance servicing contract by French shipbuilding giant OCEA of the PCG fleet.
“This agreement between the @coastguardph and OCEA, a global leader in shipbuilding, aims to enhance PCG’s operational capability in maritime security, search and rescue operations, and protection of marine environment,” the embassy’s post read.
Two more partnerships were forged during Saint-Martin’s visit—a Memorandum of Understanding between the DOTr and French green hydrogen technology firm Hydrogène de France for the decarbonization of transport sectors and the contract between Air France and Cebu Pacific Air for the maintenance services for airline’s A320 and A321 fleet.
To promote climate resilience, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), and the French Development Agency also held an exchange of documents to reinforce support for the development of geographical indications.
Saint-Martin and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque also opened the France-Philippines Business Forum, which was part of French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines’ “long-standing missions to promote business relations between our countries and provide support to French-Filipino companies and networks,” the embassy said.
In another X post, Saint-Martin called the Philippines “a land of opportunities” following discussions with French and Philippine companies on railway infrastructure, the Coast Guard, and the revival of direct air routes.
President Marcos also thanked the French minister for visiting the country during his courtesy call to the Chief Executive, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.
"It is very encouraging for the Philippines to see that despite … the great distance between our two countries … the primacy of our shared values and our adherence to international law is something that is a common ground, that is very solid between France and the Philippines," the President said.
Saint-Martin, for his part, expressed his gratitude to Marcos and Roque for the welcome and also conveyed the warm greetings of French President Emmanuel Macron to the Philippine government and the Filipino people.
The Philippines and France have maintained formal diplomatic relations for 78 years since their establishment on June 26, 1947.
There are more than 31,000 Filipinos in France, majority of them are domestic workers, professionals, students, artists, and spouses of French nationals.
FTA, VFA talks
Meanwhile, France is also pushing to begin talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and the European Union and expressed readiness to begin negotiations on a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA).
Saint-Martin revealed during his visit that the EU is working on a free flow of goods between the Philippines and the regional bloc amid United States President Donald Trump’s recently announced reciprocal tariffs that sent shockwaves to the global market and affected dozens of trading partners.
In a separate interview with reporters on Friday, April 11, French Ambassador to Manila Marie Fontanel said France has yet to receive official confirmation from the Philippines after PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro announced that Marcos has green-lit the process to start talks on the SOVFA last March 25.
“We haven't been officially informed of that so far, so we are still waiting for the Department of Foreign Affairs or the Department of National Defense to come back to us,” a report by NewsWatch Plus PH quoted the envoy.
The first draft of the proposed agreement was submitted by France in October last year, while both countries held a consultation in Manila last month.
The first round of negotiations can begin, Fontanel said, once the Philippines sends a formal notification.
Manila has been forging agreements similar to its defense agreement with the United States because of China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the resource-rich and largely-contested West Philippine Sea.