MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed optimism in maintaining the strong and dynamic relationship between the Philippines and the United States, even beyond the leadership change in the US.
During a telephone call with US Vice President Kamala Harris, President Marcos highlighted the significant progress achieved in the bilateral relationship, particularly in the areas of economics, diplomacy, and defense and security.
“As typical with the relationship between the Philippines and the US, it’s on every level, in every facet: on the economic level, on the diplomatic level, and defense and security,” President Marcos said.
“And the progress that we have made is terribly encouraging and we just hope to build on that and continue to work on what we have begun and continue to stand for our shared values and the rule of international law,” he added.
Formal diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the United States were established on July 4, 1946.
The US is the Philippines’ oldest and only treaty ally. Bilateral defense and security engagement remains the key pillar of PH-US bilateral relations and is carried out within the framework of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), and other bilateral agreements.
Vice President Harris, in turn, emphasized the “bipartisan support” within Congress and Washington for strengthening ties with the Philippines, especially in terms of security, economic prosperity and people-to-people connections.
Harris also emphasized the importance of the trilateral ties between the Philippines, the US and Japan.
“As we discussed with (US) President (Joe) Biden on Sunday, the trilateral cooperation with Japan is a very important way to deepen our economic cooperation and build secured supply chains as well as promote security across the region,” she said.
“And I echo the President’s conversation with you about the work that you will do with the next administration in terms of reinforcing the importance of that trilateral cooperation and the critical nature of it to maintain security in the South China Sea,” she added.
President Biden and Vice President Harris have been engaging in calls with allies and partners ahead of the conclusion of their terms on January 20.
President Marcos earlier participated in a trilateral telephone conversation with President Biden and Japan Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru on Monday. | (PND)