U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today stressed that the United States and Philippines are broadening and strengthening their partnership beyond defense.
In her remarks aboard USS Fitzgerald commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, Ms. Clinton highlighted that the two countries’ mutual defense treaty has provided for their common defense and helped to create cooperation between their countries, not only military cooperation but also political and economic, and not only between governments but most importantly between their people.
“That summer day in 1951 when this treaty was signed, our nations faced a very different world. Then we were united against the spread of communism. Filipino and American soldiers had fought side by side in World War II not long before, and this treaty was a testament that we stood united against the challenges of a dangerous world.” -Ms. Clinton
She stressed that the alliance remains strong, capable of delivering results for the people of the Philippines, the United States, and their neighbors throughout the Asia Pacific. She said they are now updating their alliance and all of their alliances in the region with three guidelines in mind.
She cited that both countries are working to ensure that the core objectives of their alliances have the political support of our people.
“We want our alliances to be nimble, adaptive, flexible so they can continue to deliver results in this new world. And third, we are making sure that our collective defense capabilities and communications infrastructure are operationally and materially capable of deterring provocation from the full spectrum of state and non-state actors.” -Ms. Clinton
She emphasized that the United States is working with its Filipino allies to ensure that they can meet threats like proliferation and terrorism, and to support the Philippines particularly in the maritime domain as it move to improve its territorial defense and interdiction capabilities.
“The Manila Declaration that we have just signed sets forth a shared vision for strategic, political, economic, and people-to-people cooperation. And later today, Secretary Del Rosario and I will sign a Statement of Principles for our Partnership for Growth to help the Philippines break into the ranks of the world’s high-performing economies.” – Ms. Clinton
