United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met today with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila and “discussed the importance of preserving the rights of all nations to fly, sail, and operate – safely and responsibly – wherever international law allows.”
The US and the Philippines reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthen shared principles, including rule of law, freedom of the seas, and respect for territorial sovereignty.
The officials also emphasized the strength of the US-Philippine alliance and explored opportunities to extend this partnership to include like-minded nations such as Japan and Australia.
“I think today is genuinely historic. This is the first time that the Philippines has hosted our 2+2,” Blinken said.
“It’s, I think, really evidence of a steady drumbeat of very high-level engagements between our countries that are covering the full range of issues and opportunities that bring us together – not only security but also economic – and we’re truly grateful for this partnership,” he added.
Secretary Austin echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the shared interests and values that underpin the alliance.
“I think we’ve done a lot over the last three and a half years to continue to strengthen our alliance, and we look forward to continuing to work with you and your team to move even further. But thanks for your leadership, Mr. President. Again, it’s been a great three and a half years,” Austin remarked.
