The establishment of a new Defense Attaché Office in Manila had been announced by Mr. Sébastien Lecornu, Minister for the Armed Forces, in Manila on December 2, 2023. This important decision is in line with the strengthening of bilateral relations between France and the Philippines, as called for by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and already illustrated by the embassy’s move to its new premises at the beginning of the year with enhanced resources.

Since the beginning of the year, this rapprochement in the field of defense has already taken concrete form with the official visit of Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, Chief of Staff of the French Navy on April 24, France’s active participation in the Balikatan exercise in April with the presence of the frigate Vendémiaire, and the stopover of the destroyer Bretagne in Manila from May 31 to June 4. At the end of July 2024, the Philippines will also host the first stopover of several combat and support aircraft, including 2 Rafales, as part of the French Air Force’s annual Pegase deployment.

Captain Stéphan Litzler will head the Defense Attaché Office of the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia, comprising Colonel Michel Midon, the Armament Attaché, who has been based in Manila since September 2023, and Command Master Sergeant Éric Thieffry, whose arrival is imminent.