The agreement was concluded during a visit by the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Manilan, while the two countries seek to mend relations severed in recent years under the former Philippine president Rodrigo Dutertewho preferred rapprochement with Chinabut the new administration of the president Ferdinand Marcos It seems keen to reverse this trend.
The statement said that "Philippines AndUnited State We are proud to announce their plans to accelerate the full implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, by agreeing to identify 4 new agreed-upon sites in strategic areas of the country.".
Ahead of the statement’s release, a senior Philippine official told AFP that talks were under way on a possible fifth rule.
The two countries have a decades-old security alliance that includes a mutual defense treaty and an enhanced defense cooperation agreement signed in 2014 that allows US forces to be present in 5 Philippine bases, including those close to disputed waters, and allows the US army to store defense equipment and supplies in those bases.
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And he said Philippine and American officials In a joint statement Washington and Manila They agreed to expand an existing agreement to include 4 new sites “in strategic areas of the country”.
The agreement was concluded during a visit by the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Manilan, while the two countries seek to mend relations severed in recent years under the former Philippine president Rodrigo Dutertewho preferred rapprochement with Chinabut the new administration of the president Ferdinand Marcos It seems keen to reverse this trend.
The statement said, “Philippines AndUnited State We are proud to announce their plans to accelerate the full implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, by agreeing to identify 4 new agreed-upon sites in strategic areas of the country.
Ahead of the statement’s release, a senior Philippine official told AFP that talks were under way on a possible fifth rule.
The two countries have a decades-old security alliance that includes a mutual defense treaty and an enhanced defense cooperation agreement signed in 2014 that allows US forces to be present in 5 Philippine bases, including those close to disputed waters, and allows the US army to store defense equipment and supplies in those bases.