DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Laos' Defense Minister General Chansamone Chanyalath led the signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) on defense cooperation during the Asean Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) on Wednesday, commemorating 70 years of diplomatic relations between their nations.

In a statement, Defense Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said Teodoro underscored the shared challenges faced by the two countries, such as natural disasters, and the potential for mutual learning and collaboration during his meeting with Chanyalath.