Metro Manila, Philippines — US State Secretary Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III paid a courtesy call to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, July 30.
Blinken and Austin visited Malacañan Palace in Manila before their scheduled dialogue with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.
“I’m always very happy that these communication lines are very open so that all the things that we are doing together, in terms of our alliance, in terms of the specific context of our situation here in the West Philippine Sea and in the Indo-Pacific, are continuously examined and re-examined so we are agile in terms of our responses,” Marcos said.
Blinken told Marcos that they are grateful for the partnership.
“It’s, I think, really evidence of a steady drumbeat, a very high level of engagements between our countries that are covering the full range of issues and opportunities that bring us together, not only security but also economic,” Blinken was quoted as saying.
“We’re more than allies, we’re family and it always feels that way when, you know, I’m working with our colleagues,” Austin, for his part, said.
Blinken and Austin proceeded to the armed forces general headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City for the fourth Philippines-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
They are expected to discuss with Manalo and Teodoro the further strengthening of the alliance.
