MANILA — France is expected to finish the first draft of its military interoperability agreement with the Philippines this month, French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel said on Tuesday.

Manila and Paris “decided to enter into negotiations for Visiting Forces Agreement” in late July, the Ambassador told Palace reporters.

“It’s been agreed that France will be the one to issue the first draft by end of September,” she said.

“As far as I know, the process has been going on well. It’s in our hands, it’s in Paris,” she said.

While there is not set timetable to produce the final text, Fontanel noted that they “all get inspired by the example of the Japanese Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) that was signed within 8 months.”

The RAA is an agreement that serves as the legal basis for Filipino and Japanese troops to operate within each other’s territories for military exercises.

In July, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told ANC that Manila is set to ink several RAA-like agreements with several countries including France, Canada and New Zealand.

“We are going to work on an RAA hopefully with Canada, France, with New Zealand, and with other countries that escaped my memory at this time,” Teodoro said.

“We are also looking at closer relationships with the United Kingdom who has expressed a lot of interest in working with us,” he added.

‘Like RAA’: Philippines eyes defense pacts with Canada, France, New Zealand - Teodoro

Having a similar military deal with the Philippines is important for France, Fontanel said, noting that they also have territories in the Pacific, and is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

“We have a strategy of the Indo-Pacific and it’s important to continue having partners in the region, particularly where we can ensure that we have access for our Armed Forces,” she said.

Several countries have been forging closer ties with the Philippines  as China continues to assert ownership over nearly the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claim.

The Philippines — under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — has been vocal in condemning China’s incursions and aggressive maneuvers in the West Philippine Sea, a portion of the South China Sea that falls within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

So far, Manila has forged RAAs with Japan and Australia, and a Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States.