ABS-CBN News
MANILA - The Philippines and the Czech Republic have inked a defense cooperation agreement last month, the European country's embassy to Manila said Monday.
Philippine Defense Undersecretary Ricardo David Jr. and Czech Deputy Minister Jakub Landovský, Head of Defense Policy and Strategy Division of the Ministry of Defense, represented their respective countries when they signed the agreement in Prague on May 29.
"The agreement spells out areas of cooperation such as defense and security policy, procurement policy, defense logistics, peace-keeping and humanitarian operations, compliance with international treaties of defense, security and arms control, personnel management, military training and education, and other activities that may be agreed by both parties," Jan Vytopil, Deputy Head of Mission at the Czech Embassy, was quoted as saying in the press release from the office.
Czech Ambassador Jaroslav Olša, Jr., added, the countries ought to have a more deepened relationship through cooperation in this day and age "for the betterment of both the Philippines and the Czech Republic."
"This agreement not only shows our aim to promote peace and security for the people and our land, but more importantly, the valued and shared causes and understandings that we aim to adhere by," he said.
Apart from defense, the countries and institutions therein also agreed to cooperate on areas of science, trade, culture, and education.
Sixteen memoranda were signed between different universities in the Philippines and their counterparts in the European state. These accords "open the door to students and professors to be sent to Prague for training and further their degrees," said Vytopil.
A previously signed Agreement on Cooperation in Culture, Education, Science and Sports allowed Filipino students who usually excel in the fields of Engineering, Genetics and Marketing to study in the Czech Republic, said the Embassy.
Additionally, a memorandum of agreement with Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino resulted in the publication of two titles of Czech and Philippine literature in both countries, with two "ground-breaking thick anthologies of short stories from both countries scheduled to be published this summer."
Also among the agreements signed was one between the Czech National Museum of Prague, headed by Director General Michal Lukeš, and the National Museum of the Philippines Director Jeremy Barns.
This will allow for any upcoming international exhibitions of Filipino artists in the Czech Republic and vice versa, as well as an "in-depth scientific research to be conducted in both countries by our scientists," said the Embassy.
The Czech post also revealed that they have been recently holding "secretive talks" with Czech brewing universities that would make possible to share some of the Czech thousand-year brewing experience with the amazingly colorful new wave of Filipino craft brewers.
