DFA, DND officials to meet with US counterparts in Washington, DC

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary

Enrique Manalo and Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. are set to meet with their American counterparts in Washington, DC from April 10 to 12. The meeting coincides with the opening ceremony of this year’s Balikatan war games, which will involve over 17,000 American, Filipino, and Australian troops. Manalo and Galvez will be meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III to discuss ways to further develop key areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The meeting will cover important global prosperity issues such as energy, security, trade, and economic cooperation, as well as identify concrete initiatives for promoting regional security, achieving mutual economic prosperity, modernizing the alliance, and countering terrorism and other transnational crimes.

The Department of Foreign Affairs sees the meeting as a way to further develop existing areas of bilateral cooperation and strengthen ties between the two countries. This year’s 2+2 meeting will be the third iteration of the ministerial dialogues, which was established in 2012, and it will be the first session held since 2016.

The Philippine government has sought warmer diplomacy and defense ties with the United States under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. In August last year, US Secretary of State Blinken reaffirmed the US’ “iron-clad commitment” to its Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines, while US Defense Secretary Austin’s visit in February saw the announcement of four new approved sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. While in Washington, Manalo will also be a keynote speaker at the CSIS ASEAN Leadership Forum to discuss how the alliance stands in the Philippines’ policies.