(Eagle News)–Both the Philippines and the United States reaffirmed the “importance of working closely to enhance the Mutual Defense Treaty” in light of the “recent geopolitical developments and challenges” in the Asia in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
The DFA said the reaffirmation of the treaty that “has stood strong for nearly 70 years” was made in a conversation between Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. and U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Friday, April 9.
Article V of the MDT signed between the two countries in 1951 states “an armed attack on either of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack on the metropolitan territory of either of the Parties, or on the Island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean, its armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific.”
The conversation took place only days after Locsin said the Philippines had filed another protest against China over the presence of its vessels and maritime assets in Julian Felipe Reef.
Prior to that, the DFA had said the Philippines would file a protest “for every day of delay [of the Chinese ships leaving].”
The Philippines filed its first protest over the same issue on March 21.
On Friday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told GMA there were only at least 32 Chinese vessels moored at the Julian Felipe Reef from the initial 220.
According to the department, during the conversation, the DFA secretary also welcomed the assistance of the United States in the Philippines’ efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Both Secretaries expressed confidence and optimism in the future trajectory of the Philippines-United States bilateral cooperation as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries,” the DFA said.
(Eagle News Service)
