OTTAWA — Defence Minister David McGuinty has signed a defence co-operation agreement with the Philippines as he visits the country.

A National Defence press release says the agreement will allow the armed forces of both countries to work closer together by participating in operations and exercises in each other’s territories.

It follows an earlier memorandum of agreement that included military education, training and capacity building.

The press release says the Philippines is one of Canada’s most important defence partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

It says the Philippines is a democratic nation that plays a key role upholding respect for international law.

Canada and the Philippines are both critics of China’s increasingly coercive actions in the disputed South China Sea.

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