PH, New Zealand launch negotiations for Status of Visiting Forces Agreement

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Philippines and New Zealand have officially kicked off negotiations for the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), marking a significant step in strengthening their defense relations.

The first round of talks took place on January 23, 2025, in Manila, according to the New Zealand Embassy.

The Philippine delegation was represented by Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary Pablo M. Lorenzo while Ministry of Defence (MoD) Director Kathleen Pearce was at the helm of the New Zealand side.

The embassy said the SOVFA negotiations are part of a broader effort to deepen defense ties between the two nations.

This move follows a commitment made during the visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Manila in April 2024, when an agreement was forged to work towards finalizing the pact.

The countries signed a Memorandum of Arrangement between the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with New Zealand’s MoD in 2017.

“It will enable both countries’ armed forces to elevate their cooperative activities and conduct exercises in each other’s territories, deepening overall defence and military cooperation,” the embassy said in a statement.

In September 2024, New Zealand participated alongside the Philippines, the United States, Japan, and Australia in the fourth multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) held within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

This exercise highlighted the five nations' collective commitment to enhancing regional and international cooperation, with a focus on maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, as emphasized by the AFP.

The Philippines has a VFA with the United States and Australia and a Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan.

Canada and France are also negotiating a similar defense pact with the Philippines.