Manila, Jan. 29 -- The Philippines and New Zealand have officially started negotiations for the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), the Department of National Defense (DND) announced Wednesday.

In a statement, the DND said the first round of talks took place in Manila last Jan. 23.

"(The talks were) hosted by the Philippine government in Manila, with DND Undersecretary Pablo M. Lorenzo and Ministry of Defense (MoD) Director Kathleen Pearce leading the Philippine and New Zealand delegations, respectively," it added.

The DND said New Zealand delegation included Ambassador Catherine McIntosh, Deputy Head of Mission Stacey Kwant, and an analyst from the MoD. Other members of the New Zealand delegation joined virtually.

Meanwhile,...