US-PH DEFENSE BRIEF | Opening Statements of Hagel, Gazmin at Joint Presser

From InterAksyon (Aug 30): US-PH DEFENSE BRIEF | Opening Statements of Hagel, Gazmin at Joint Presser



The defense chief of treaty allies United States and the Philippines presided over a joint press briefing Friday after the meeting of Secretary Chuck Hagel with President Benigno Aquino III at Malacanang Palace. The meeting and briefing coincided with the 62nd anniversary of the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty.

Here is the official transcript of their opening statements.

Opening Statement of United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel following his courtesy call to President Benigno Aquino III in Malacanang Palace on August 30, 2013

Good morning. It’s a pleasure to be back here in the Philippines at the conclusion of my second trip to Asia as Secretary of Defense. One that is taking me to Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and now, here.

I have been to the Philippines many times over the years. I first started coming to the  Philippines in the mid-late 1980s when I was president of the World USO and as a United States senator, I visited the Philippines often.

I first learned about the Philippines when my father, who was here during World War II and spent some time in Clark Air Field. He was a radio operator, tail gunner on a B-25 and has many, many pictures of his experience here. He loved the Filipino people; he loved this country. And I have always been somewhat influenced by my father’s early assessment but, I can tell you that if he was alive today, I would tell him that I wholly agree with that assessment of this country and the people here in this country.

This morning, I had a very productive meeting with President Aquino, and I look forward to meeting again with Secretary of National Defense Gazmin, who has spent some time at the ASEAN conference and I saw the Secretary at the Shangri-la dialogue and saw him and (-unclear-)... So we’ve seen a lot of each other over the last few months. And I appreciate very much his time this morning. I also have an opportunity to meet with Secretary of Foreign Affairs del Rosario and I look forward to that meeting as well.

In my meeting with President Aquino, I noted that the deep and unbreakable alliance between United States and Philippines is an anchor for peace and stability and prosperity in this region. Our close ties with the Philippines have been forged through history of shared sacrifice and common purpose, and continuing to strengthen the close partnership between our nations is an important part of America’s long-term strategy of re-balancing in the Asia Pacific. One thing that I want to  emphasize is that United States is committed to the mutual defense treaty between our nations. It was borne out of Americans and Filipinos fighting shoulder-to-shoulder during World War II, and it has formed the foundation of the US-Philippines security relationship for more than 60 years.

In the spirit of that treaty, in its continuing relevance today, President Aquino, when I reaffirmed the progress being made in the ongoing discussions for our Framework Agreement. This agreement will strengthen cooperation between our two militaries and help them work together more effectively. So, both now and the future, that relationship will strengthen. This progress is welcomed and encouraging. I noted that our negotiating teams are working hard to finish the Framework Agreement in the near future.

The United States does not seek permanent bases in the Philippines. That would represent a return to an outdated cold war mentality. Instead, we are using a new model of military to military cooperation befitting to great allies and friends, and looking to increase our rotational presence here, as we have done recently in Singapore and Australia. Such an arrangement would benefit both our militaries by increasing our ability to train and operate together. Deepening engagement opportunities between our forces will further support President Aquino’s defense modernization agenda.

The United States has a great deal of experience in building a modern military and we would like to share what we’ve learned with our Filipino allies. I also discussed with President Aquino and intend to discuss with the ministers, the situation in the South China Sea, an issue which the United States, our allies, partners and friends in this part of the world hope will be resolved peacefully and without coercion.

The United States supports ASEAN efforts to negotiate the South China Sea Code of Conduct, which will help peacefully manage disagreements and tensions arising from competing territorial and maritime claims. In the meantime, we encourage nations to peacefully resolve their disputes to internationally accepted mechanism and accordance with international law, including the Law of the Sea and without coercion or militarize attempts to alter the status quo. The United States appreciates the Philippines’ efforts to solve its dispute through peaceful means.

I close by observing this has been a productive trip for me to Southeast Asia. As the United States re-balance to the Asia Pacific makes clear, this region is very important to America’s economic, strategic, and security interests both now and the years to come. So I look forward to continuing our engagement in the region. As much as I know, President Obama is looking forward to his upcoming visit.

Thank you very much.

Opening Statement of Philippine Secretary of National Defense Voltaire Gazmin:

Members of the press, ladies, and gentlemen:

Today, we mark another milestone in Philippines-U.S. defense relations. The visit of U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to the Philippines coincides with an important date for Philippines-U.S. defense relations for it was on 30 August 1951 that the Mutual Defense Treaty was signed. Today, therefore, is the 62nd anniversary of the Treaty.

The defense relations between our two countries have evolved since then. From military-to-military relations between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. Pacific Command, we have begun conducting policy consultations between our defense establishments. In addition to the bilateral strategic dialogue between senior officials from the Defense and Foreign Affairs Departments of both countries, which was first held in 2011, we also had the two-plus-two ministerial consultations between the secretaries of the Philippine and U.S. Defense and Foreign Affairs Departments in April 2012.

Our alliance remains relevant today as it was before. As we have reached a critical juncture in our alliance where our concerns on traditional and non-traditional security issues have become intertwined, the Philippines and the U.S. continue to seek ways to develop each other’s capabilities to address security challenges of mutual concern and contribute to regional peace and stability.

As fellow members of the ASEAN defense ministers’ meeting (ADMM)-plus, which was convened for the second time yesterday in Brunei Darussalam, the defense establishments of our two countries deem it important to enhance our relations not only as allies but also as fellow stakeholders of regional security.

Today, we focus on key areas of cooperation, including maritime security, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response (HA/DR), and cyber security and information sharing.

Indeed, after more than 60 years, the alliance between the Philippines and the U.S. remain relevant as we continue to enhance our capacity to address current concerns and emerging security issues. Thus, we shall continue to work closely to promote our common interests as well as peace and stability in the region.

Thank you.

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