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Manila: The Philippines and the EU agreed on Monday to start a security and defense dialogue to address cyberattacks and foreign interference.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo made the announcement with the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, during her visit to Manila.

“Our relationship reaches another significant milestone with our decision to create a security and defense dialogue. This dialogue will provide a mechanism for the Philippines and the European Union to discuss security and defense-related issues with both depth and regularity,” Manalo said during a joint press conference with Kallas.

“We hope that through the security and defense dialogue we will remain proactive and united in addressing emerging security threats and challenges that transcend borders — cyberattacks and foreign interference and manipulation of information to name a few.”

Kallas said the dialogue would address the “current geopolitical challenges and will foster exchanges and cooperation in security and defense areas, including maritime security.”

The Philippines advanced its defense ties with key EU partners over the weekend at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro held a series of bilaterals on the sidelines of the event with his French, Swedish and Lithuanian counterparts.

The new dialogue is part of a partnership and cooperation agreement between the Philippines and the EU which came into effect in 2018.

The inaugural meeting is set to take place in the last quarter of 2025.

The Philippines’ top diplomat and the EU’s foreign policy chief also committed to advancing talks on a free trade agreement.

“Noting the firm commitment of both sides in advancing negotiations, I expressed the Philippines’ hope for the continued support of the EU and its member states toward the early conclusion of negotiations of a comprehensive, balanced, and modern FTA,” Manalo said.

EU and Philippine representatives completed FTA negotiation rounds in October last year and February this year, with the next round expected to take place in Brussels in June.

MAIDUGURI: At least nine people were killed in a blast at a bus park in northeastern Nigeria, blamed on a bomb planted by suspected militants who have stepped up attacks in Borno state, a local lawmaker and residents said.
Borno has been the heartland of an Islamist insurgency for the past 16 years, which has killed thousands of Nigerians and driven tens of thousands from their homes.
Villagers from Mairari village in Borno’s Guzamala district were waiting for transport when a bomb detonated on Saturday, killing at least nine people, said Abdulkarim Lawan, the lawmaker for the area.
Lawan, who is also speaker of Borno state assembly, said Mairari village was now largely deserted due to frequent attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, who are also increasingly using improvised explosives.
“Terrorists who have been monitoring their movements planted IEDs at the local bus stop, which exploded while they were waiting to board commercial vehicles back to their destinations,” he said.
Borno state police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso confirmed the incident but said he had no details.
Bunu Bukar, a petty trader at the bus rank said on Monday the IED was tripped when passengers were boarding a mini bus, killing the nine instantly and injuring several others.
Nigeria has witnessed a rise in insurgent attacks since January, with militants targeting civilians and military bases.