Washington. September 11. INTERFAX-US Defense Ministers Lloyd Austin and Philippine Dolphin Lorenzana during a meeting in Washington confirmed the strength of the alliance of the two countries and their commitment to creating an even stronger foundation for future cooperation, the Pentagon said.
The meeting was timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Philippines.
"Secretary Austin confirmed that the US commitment to the security of the Philippines is unbreakable, and that the US treaty obligations apply to the Philippine armed forces, their state vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea," the statement said.
The sides noted the importance of expanding military and security cooperation to support the Philippines ' efforts to modernize defense and ensure the alliance's interoperability.
They agreed on a number of new initiatives that will provide solutions to new and promising problems.
Thus, they agreed to prepare a document on "a joint vision of common priorities for the next stage of cooperation within the framework of the alliance", to develop a cooperation framework that will "contribute to the development of military activities in the maritime space", to resume work in the Philippines on projects that are agreed within the framework of the Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Defense.
They also decided to convene a bilateral strategic dialogue this year.
