Experts and stakeholders came together in a Track Two Observer webinar to confer on the latest developments on Philippines international defense and security engagements. Highlighted during the discussion are the Duterte administration’s independent foreign policy and defense strategy in the midst of a pandemic.
To initiate the discussions, UP Professor Herman Kraft and RAdm Rommel Jude Ong (Ret) provided their perspectives on the country’s defense and security relationships and alliances, and policy implications of COVID19. Professor Yoshihide Matsuura of Japanese National Institute of Defense Studies served as a reactor by providing fresh external perspective and suggestions for cooperation.
The webinar was hosted by Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Philippines as a part of the Track Two Observer (TTO) forum series. TTO forum gathers experts, policy-makers, and think-tank analysts to discuss Philippine foreign relations and regional affairs. Cognizant of the role of Track Two diplomacy in assisting governmental or “Track One” initiatives in regional diplomacy, TTO forum aims develop a more participatory and inclusive constituency for strategic and foreign policy concerns by providing a platform for information exchange, professional networking, and collaboration.
To view the policy paper, please click here.