The Philippines and Sweden have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation in civil defense and security during the Seoul Defense Dialogue 2025 in South Korea. On Monday 8 September, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. met with Johan Berggren, Swedish State Secretary to the Minister for Civil Defense, to discuss crisis response, capacity building, defense education and training, as well as technology and emerging security domains. Teodoro underlined the importance of close cooperation with Sweden to support the Philippines’ defense modernization and national resilience efforts. Berggren reiterated Sweden’s commitment to closer ties with the Philippines, emphasizing the importance of enduring partnerships to safeguard the rules-based international order. The meeting took place alongside other bilateral discussions, including talks between the Philippines and Canada on cybersecurity and regional security.