Vice President Kamala Harris met today in Manila with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. of the Philippines and reaffirmed the strength of our bilateral relationship, noting our long history as friends, allies, and partners. The Vice President emphasized that the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to strengthening these ties. The Vice President underscored the strength of our security and economic partnership with the Philippines and welcomed our expanding cooperation, which supports a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Vice President and the President discussed a number of global issues, and the importance of standing up for international rules and norms. The Vice President reiterated the interests of the United States in peace and stability in the South China Sea and that the United States stands with our Philippine ally in upholding the rules-based international maritime order, unimpeded lawful commerce and respect of international law, including freedoms of navigation and overflight. The Vice President reaffirmed that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. The Vice President discussed our expanding Coast Guard partnership and maritime law enforcement cooperation, which supports the lives and livelihoods of the Filipino people. The Vice President condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s destabilizing missile tests and Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine.
The Vice President underscored that the United States is committed to working closely with the Philippines to strengthen our economic partnership and investment ties between our countries. The Vice President discussed expanding our shared efforts on food and energy security issues. Additionally, the Vice President and the President welcomed the initiation of negotiations on a “123” civil nuclear cooperation agreement to expand cooperation on zero-emission technology and nonproliferation priorities. The Vice President and the President discussed the urgency of the climate crisis, as well as the opportunities presented by accelerating the transition to clean energy and welcomed our growing cooperation on climate action.
The Vice President underscored the importance of respect for human rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of the press, and the importance of bolstering democratic principles.
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