3rd Ph-US bilateral strategic dialogue charts course for stronger and closer cooperation

From the Philippine Information Agency (Dec 13): 3rd Ph-US bilateral strategic dialogue charts course for stronger and closer cooperation

The Philippines and the United States (US) today arrived at a set of work plans that chart the course for stronger and closer cooperation between the two countries, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. "Today's understandings reflect the depth of our relationship and the great potential for even greater cooperation," Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda F. Basilio said after the dialogue. Undersecretary Basilio was the Philippine co-chair of the meeting together with Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo F. Batino.

The Philippines and the US held their third Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) on December 11 to 12 in Manila. The Dialogue continues the two countries’ close consultation and exchange of views on a broad range of bilateral, regional, and global issues that reflect common values, mutual respect, and converging interests. "We hold this dialogue at a very critical time for the Philippines, as a country firmly on the road to economic growth, with a vastly improving internal peace and order situation, and a country that has struck important blows against corruption," Undersecretary Basilio said.

Among the issues discussed were cooperative efforts at building the capacity of the Philippine armed forces through training, exercises and other activities. "This dialogue also comes at a time when the Philippines is facing great challenges in the West Philippine Sea. We are exerting every effort to resolve these issues through diplomacy and the rule of law. But it is important that we give our armed forces every available tool to defend and preserve our sovereignty and territorial integrity," Undersecretary Basilio said. During the meeting, the two sides demonstrated a continued resolve to move relations forward by finalizing concrete action plans for continued engagements for 2013. Among the cooperative activities identified were in the areas of maritime security, disaster response, cybersecurity, law enforcement, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and inclusive economic growth.

The dialogue reviewed the ongoing deepening of defense and security relations between the Philippines and the US in the context of US rebalance in the Asia Pacific, and noted the increased assistance the US is allotting to civilian law enforcement agencies in the Philippines to build their capability in counter-terrorism to support the armed forces´ shift to territorial defense. The US delegation recognized the tremendous economic gains that the Philippines has experienced this year, as well as its progress in effectively addressing the scourge of human rights violations and trafficking in persons. Undersecretaries Basilio and Batino hailed the meeting as “a reaffirmation of the two countries’ commitment to work closely on current and emerging issues that are mutually important and mutually actionable,” and stressed that “both sides are working to ensure that the fruits of these discussions are translated into tangible and lasting results”.

After a discussion of regional and global issues, the Philippines and US co-chairs included in their joint statement a paragraph strongly condemning today's missile launch by North Korea. The United States’ co-chairs were Assistant Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell and Assistant Secretary of Defense Mark W. Lippert, supported by officials from the US Embassy in Manila, Washington, D.C. and the US Pacific Command in Hawaii.

http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1781355381932