The French Navy Ship (FNS) Vendemiaire (F734), with one helicopter onboard, berthed at Manila South Harbor Monday for a goodwill visit lasting until Friday, March 16.
Under the command of Commander (Cdr.) Alexander Blonce, FNS Vendemiaire is a Floréal-class light surveillance frigate of the French Marine Nationale (French Navy).
With a 200-person crew, the ship is into almost three months into her current tour of duty deployed to patrol the Pacific Region.
According to the French Ambassador Nicolas Galey, unity is important for all nations to defend their stake regarding freedom of navigation in this part of the world.
Galey added that his country supports the legal position taken by the Philippines regarding territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
The French Commanding Officer in the Pacific Region, Admiral Denis Bertrand, said all countries should respect International Maritime Law as part of the navigational use of international waters.
Just in the past week, a delegation from the French Defense Ministry arrived to launch for the first time a Filipino-French Joint Cooperation Committee for tackling security issues in the region.
This development is seen as a good opportunity to strengthen cooperation and the exchange of information in the interest of furthering mutual interests of France and the Philippines.
