Senior officials from the Philippines and the United States recently concluded the 11th Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C. During the dialogue, both countries reiterated their commitment to cooperation and partnership across various domains.
Reflecting on the past year, both sides highlighted significant milestones in their partnership, including high-level meetings, joint dialogues, and collaborative initiatives. The joint statement emphasized the importance of enhancing the breadth of partnership, modernizing alliance cooperation, and promoting an international law-based maritime order.
In line with the shared vision of Presidents Marcos and Biden, the two sides renewed their commitment to addressing global and regional challenges, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Specific areas of cooperation include cyber-digital dialogue, security sector assistance, and countering foreign information manipulation.
Furthermore, the joint statement underscored the importance of upholding international law in maritime affairs, calling upon all parties to respect the rule of law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Philippines and the United States also expressed their commitment to maintaining peace and security in the maritime domain, including support for affected Filipino seafarers.
Both countries pledged to advance their common prosperity and protect the environment through strategic trade management, clean energy transition, and economic cooperation. Discussions also focused on strengthening multilateral cooperation, emphasizing the need to accelerate sustainable development goals and promote a free, safe, and open Indo-Pacific region.
The joint statement concluded with a commitment to further deepen collaboration at the United Nations and other international forums, highlighting the importance of upholding the rule of law and respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The 11th Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue reaffirmed the strong partnership between the two countries and outlined a roadmap for continued cooperation across political, security, economic, and multilateral fronts.
