PH, US reaffirm alliance in 'pursuit of peace' of Indo-Pacific region
The Philippines and the United States reaffirmed their alliance and commitment to stability in the Indo-Pacific region as the countries' defense chiefs met at the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
During the meeting, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, discussed deepening defense cooperation in support of regional peace, resilience, and a rules-based international order.
'The Philippines seeks peace, but it must be a sustainable peace—one grounded in our own resilience and reinforced through alliances with like-minded partners. We look forward to this meeting and to further strengthening our already robust defense relationship with the United States,' Teodoro said in a statement released on Saturday.
Secretary Hegseth, meanwhile, committed to back the Philippines in its effort to push for stability in the region.
"I want to applaud the Philippines for their courage and clarity in the South China Sea, and their clear-eyed recognition of the challenges we face. We stand shoulder to shoulder in our pursuit of peace and stability in the region,' Hegseth said.
'Our militaries exercised together in Balikatan in April—the largest in a long time with 14,000 troops. This speaks to the longstanding and ironclad relationship between our nations under the Mutual Defense Treaty,' Hegseth also said.
Both secretaries also emphasized the importance of continuing defense cooperation in the face of evolving regional security dynamics. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
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