Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today stressed that the United States looks to the Philippines and sees a trusted ally.
At the signing of the Partnership for Growth, Ms. Clinton thanked President Aquino and Foreign Secretary Del Rosario for extending a warm welcome and also extended her appreciation to all of the officials of the Government of the Philippines.
“And on behalf of the American people and President Obama, I bring greetings and well wishes. For 60 years now, the alliance between the Philippines and the United States has helped keep our nations secure.” -Ms. Clinton
She stressed that both countries have strengthened their democracies, developed their economies, and certainly built strong ties among their peoples. She said they have also helped provide stability and security throughout the Asia Pacific.
She noted that during the past year, both nations have embarked on a campaign of increasingly active diplomacy. In January, they inaugurated the first U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialogue here in Manila.
“My visit today is part of this reinvigorated diplomacy. Earlier on the deck of the “USS Fitzgerald “in Manila Bay, the foreign secretary and I signed the Manila Declaration. And just now, he and I officially launched the U.S.-Philippines Partnership for Growth, a rigorous, results-oriented collaboration to help the Philippines break into the ranks of the world’s high-performing emerging economies and achieve sustainable, broad-based growth that will benefit all of the people of this country.” -Ms. Clinton
She stressed that the United States wants to support the pro-growth reforms and help unlock the Philippines vast economic potential to improve the lives of your own people, to drive regional prosperity, and to create more high-paying jobs so fewer Filipino citizens have to travel to distant countries to support their families.
“Through the Partnership for Growth, a team from across the United States Government will work closely with partners in the Filipino Government to create a more transparent and predictable business environment, lower barriers to trade and strengthen the rule of law, as well as fighting corruption.” -Ms. Clinton
She emphasized both countires hope to deliver an array of benefits to the people, including more foreign investment to create new jobs, a more streamlined court system that can deliver justice and protect local businesses, better services, and more resources to fight poverty.
“Over time, these steps will better position the Philippines to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which we hope will dramatically increase trade and investment among the peoples of the Pacific.” -Ms. Clinton
