WELLINGTON, 26 February 2026 - Ambassador Kira Azucena welcomed Department of National Defense Senior Undersecretary Irinero C Espino Jr. and the Philippine Delegation to the 6th Philippines-New Zealand Bilateral Talks (BDT) held in Wellington.

The Philippine Delegation was composed of officials of the Philippine Department of National Defense and the Philippine Embassy in Wellington, and they met with their counterparts at the New Zealand Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the biennial defense talks, a bilateral mechanism for the two sides to exchange views and discuss ways of expanding cooperation in the field of defense and security.

The Meeting discussed advancing regional security cooperation, and reaffirmed the mutual commitment of both countries to uphold peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region and rules-based international order.  Discussions also covered their respective policy approaches to strengthening defense capabilities, advancing industrial strategy, and pursuing ongoing modernization and capability development initiatives.

The 6th BDT came at the heels of the signing of the landmark Philippines-New Zealand Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) in April 2025 by DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and NZ Minister of Defense Judith Collins and on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Philippines-New Zealand diplomatic relations in 2026.

The Philippine Delegation expressed its commitment to working closely with New Zealand to advance shared priorities in maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, capability development, and broader regional engagement, among others. Both sides conveyed their readiness to translate their discussions into concrete initiatives and sustain this positive trajectory in the two countries’ defense and security cooperation in the years ahead. - END