Manila, March 27 -- Defense chiefs of the Philippines and France formally signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) between the two nations, the Department of National Defense (DND) announced on Friday.

DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and French Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans Catherine Vautrin signed the pact during their bilateral meeting in Paris on Thursday (local time).

"Today, we signed the SOVFA between the Philippines and France only one year after his Excellency, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. authorized us to begin negotiations on this treaty and we signed it today on his expressed instructions to expedite matters given his realization of the importance of our two countries' relationships and with...