Manila: The European Union (EU) has launched a new 15 million euros or approximately PHP1.05 billion assistance to further strengthen the Philippines' maritime capabilities. The assistance is the first-ever maritime security aid package the Philippines is getting under the bloc's European Peace Facility (EPF).

According to Philippines News Agency, this support will enhance the Philippines' maritime capabilities through non-lethal surveillance and monitoring equipment. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, during her visit on Friday, emphasized that this is the first-ever European Peace Facility support to be implemented in the Indo-Pacific, marking a clear commitment by Europe to boost its role as a security partner in the region.

The announcement came after a bilateral meeting between Kallas and Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, alongside the launch of the EU-Philippine enhanced partnership during the 59th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The EPF is a multimillion-euro instrument designed to enhance the EU's conflict prevention, peace-building, and international security and stability efforts.

The aid directed to Manila aims specifically at improving the maritime domain awareness capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines across the nation's maritime zones. Additionally, Kallas reiterated the EU's stance on the South China Sea, supporting freedom of navigation and overflight, the 2016 Arbitral Award, and the ongoing ASEAN-China negotiations for a code of conduct in the critical waterway.