The United States and the Philippines have agreed to further enhance bilateral cooperation, including in security, defense, commerce, law enforcement, human rights, and disaster relief. The two sides said in a joint statement issued after the second Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Washington, DC that they agreed to deepen and broaden their maritime security cooperation.
During the dialogue, the United States and the Philippines reaffirmed their commitment to fulfill the vision of the Manila Declaration through an invigorated and expanded alliance capable of addressing 21st century challenges. The allies reinforced the significance of their Mutual Defense Treaty as the basis for the alliance and the treaty's continued relevance to the peace, security, and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific.
The United States and the Philippines emphasized the importance of deepening bilateral trade and investment ties to increase prosperity for the people in both countries. The ongoing collaboration in the Partnership for Growth and the Millennium Challenge Corporation was reviewed in the Washington meeting.
The United States recognized the efforts being taken by the Philippine government in resolving human rights cases and discussed positive developments in the prosecution of abuses. The two sides emphasized a mutual commitment to these efforts.
The meeting decided to continue high-level consultation at a joint ministerial meeting between US Secretary of State Rodham Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, and their Philippine counterparts Albert del Rosario and Voltaire Gazmin respectively in March.
The two sides also highlighted upcoming opportunities for further high-level engagement, including a visit by Assistant Secretary of State for Political and Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro and Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis in February to discuss economic issues and the interest of the Philippines in potentially joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Peter Lavoy for the United States and Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Erlinda Basilio and Undersecretary of National Defense Pio Lorenzo Batino for the Philippines. Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan chaired the working group on Rule of Law and Law Enforcement.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.