Metro Manila, Philippines — The top military chief of the United States is in Manila as part of a series of meetings with Indo-Pacific counterparts.
In a statement, the US Defense Department said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. will engage with Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner and other military officials to review the progress of the Philippines-US defense partnership.
“In the Philippines, we have a long-standing, shared interest in regional stability backed by international law,” Brown said in a statement. “The Philippines is one of our oldest treaty allies in the region.”
Brown is also expected to visit one of the sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). Four new EDCA sites were approved last year, increasing rotational access and interoperability between the two countries.
I do see that the relationship is gaining momentum,” Brown said.
The US embassy in Manila has yet to respond to NewsWatch Plus’ request for details of Brown’s visit to an EDCA site. The AFP has also not issued a statement on the outcomes of Brown’s visit.
“As allies, the United States and the Philippines coordinate on a wide array of issues of shared concern. I’m not going to get into the details of diplomatic discussions,” said embassy spokesperson Kanishka Gangopadhyay.
It can be recalled that US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson recently visited the AFP Western Command in Palawan, the military unit with jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea.
