President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday (New York time) met with United States Defense officials to discuss efforts aimed at accelerating the Philippines-United States defense partnership, the Presidential Communications Office said in a news release.
President Marcos had a meeting with Undersecretary of War for Policy Eldridge Colby and his delegation in New York.
The meeting focused on strengthening deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and improving interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States military through joint operations such as Exercise Balikatan, which will begin next month.
Both sides also reaffirmed their mutual commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty and to continue working together for a stable and secure Indo-Pacific region.
Exercise Balikatan is the largest annual, bilateral military drill between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US military, strengthening the alliance, enhancing interoperability, and boosting regional security.
The US Department of War is now officially the Department of Defense (DOD). Its mission is to provide military forces necessary to protect the security of the United States.