CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) participated in the 5th Trilateral Joint Staff Talks (TJST) with the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), as well as the 2nd Multilateral Staff Talks (MST) with the Australian Defense Force (ADF) on January 28, 2025, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The AFP delegation headed by Major General Rommel Cordova, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, J5.
The discussions focused on enhancing regional security cooperation through information sharing, humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) exercises, and maritime security capacity-building. The MST also addressed security threats, Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activities (MMCA), Women, Peace and Security, and strategic messaging, with plans to involve more like-minded forces in future iterations.
The MMCA, a key outcome of previous talks, has facilitated regular maritime activities, reinforcing a shared commitment to a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific.
Bilateral meetings with JSDF, ADF, and USINDOPACOM were also held, covering topics such as joint exercises, logistics cooperation, cyber collaboration, and bilateral defense agreements. These discussions aim to strengthen operational initiatives agreed upon in the trilateral and multilateral talks.
Photo by USINDOPACOM
