Manila, April 30 -- The first "multilateral maritime exercise" between the Philippines, United States, and France for this year's "Balikatan" exercises successfully ended on Monday, with all four participating vessels able to complete the activity without any untoward incident.

"The first iteration of the MME between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the United States Indo-Pacific Command (US-INDOPACOM), and the French Navy concluded on April 29, 2024 in Palawan, marking a historic milestone in regional cooperation and security," Balikatan Combined Information Bureau chief Lt. Col. John Paul Salgado said in a statement released late Monday.

The drills which started on April 25 saw the active participation of the Philippine Navy...