The Philippine Marina and Coast Guard signed a collaborative agreement with CRIMARIO concerning the use of the Indo-Pacific Regional Information Sharing (IORIS) platform.
On September 5 and 7, respectively, the Philippines Coast Guard and MARINA signed a collaborative agreement concerning the use of IORIS, a neutral and secure, web-based maritime coordination and information-sharing tool for national and regional multi-agency use.
The agreement, which encompasses technical and operational aspects, establishes a collaborative framework between CRIMARIO and the two organizations, MARINA and the Coast Guard, aiming to utilize IORIS to bolster information exchange at the national and regional levels.
Signing the agreement, Marina and the Coast Guards will have access to IORIS functionalities and satellite services in exchange for effective and regular use of the platform, which has now reached a critical milestone based on a solid regional trust.
Participating in the event, Frederic GRILLET, First Secretary at the EU Delegation to the Philippines, said: “In the Indo-Pacific, the Philippines is an important partner for the EU. As mentioned during the recent EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen visit to the country, the EU supports the rules-based international order, including in a Free and Open Indo-Pacific region. The tabletop and field exercise of the past weeks, during which IORIS has proven to be a valuable information-sharing tool, and the signature today of the IORIS Partnership Agreement are instrumental in increasing maritime cooperation.”
In the words of Martin Cauchi Inglott, CRIMARIO II project director: “We welcome MARINA and the Philippine Coast Guard that formally join the IORIS community, which as of today counts more than 40 civilian and military agencies from over 20 countries across the Indo-Pacific, from the Western Indian Ocean, through Asia and Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Ocean. IORIS will support both organisations in implementing their mandate, providing a framework to exchange operational information, and connecting domestic and international stakeholders in real-time to address the evolving challenges in the maritime domain”.