US Defense Secretary Austin reaffirms America’s ‘ironclad commitment’ to PH MBEditorial READ:
The visit of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III and his high-level talks with President Marcos and his counterpart, Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr., underlines the strength of the bilateral ties between the two countries. The visit comes at a time of increasing tensions between the US and China on the issue of Taiwan, which is less than four hundred kilometers from Itbayat island in Batanes.
The most significant outcome of the Austin visit was the joint announcement that four additional sites have been chosen for the setting up of bases to be used by Filipino and American troops for training purposes under the Expanded Defense Cooperation Agreement that was crafted after the expiry of the military bases agreement between the two countries.
The specific location of the four additional sites has not been disclosed, as due notice will be given to the affected local government units after the sealing of diplomatic letters formalizing the agreement. Covered in the Austin-Galvez talks were mutual concerns in the areas of humanitarian assistance, economic development, peace and security. Emphasizing the broader scope of US-PH relations, Secretary Austin manifested that the US Agency for International Development will extend help to the communities affected by a recent severe earthquake that hit Davao de Oro.
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