(Eagle News) — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the militarization of the South China Sea in a meeting in Washington on Wednesday, Sept. 19.
Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the United States Department of State, said also included in the agenda were the threats posed by terrorism and efforts to achieve denuclearization in North Korea.
Nauert said the two secretaries also “reaffirmed the commitment” of the two countries to the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951, with Pompeo reiterating the “readiness of the United States to continue our strong support for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”
“Secretary Pompeo also expressed condolences for the destruction and loss of life caused by Typhoon Ompong and offered US assistance in humanitarian relief efforts,” Nauert said.
The meeting took place a day after Lorenzana met with US Secretary of Defense James Mattis at the Pentagon.
