Manila, Dec. 12 -- The Philippines and France successfully concluded the two-day second round of negotiations on the proposed Philippines-France Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) on Thursday.

In a statement Thursday night, Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said this marks another important step in strengthening the bilateral defense cooperation between the two nations.

"Both sides described the discussions as productive and constructive, expressing optimism about the outcome of the ongoing negotiations," he added.

For the second round of talks for the proposed SOVFA with Paris, Manila's delegation was led by Defense Undersecretary for Strategic Assessment and Planning Ignac...