By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora

Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo (PNA photo by Robert Alfiler)

MANILA – Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have affirmed the strength of the Philippines-US alliance during a conversation Wednesday night.

In a statement, Manalo said he and Rubio discussed the “importance of the alliance for the prosperity and security of the Indo Pacific,” and the strength of the two states’ bilateral political, economic and people-to-people ties.

“We look forward to working with Secretary Rubio and his team towards addressing challenges and sustaining the momentum and positive trajectory in our bilateral relations,” he said.

The State Department said the two foreign secretaries also spoke about China’s “dangerous and destabilizing actions in the South China Sea”.

During the talk, Rubio conveyed that China’s behavior “undermines regional peace and stability and is inconsistent with international law,” and underscored the US’ ironclad commitments to the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty.

The two exchanged views on ways to advance security cooperation, expand economic ties and deepen avenues for further regional cooperation.

Ahead of his talk with Manalo, Rubio had met with the foreign ministers of QUAD —a regional security grouping between the US, Japan, India and Australia— and restated the US commitment to strengthening a “free and open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended”.

Rubio also met Japan’s Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi and both agreed that “further developing coordination of like-minded countries, including Japan-US-Republic of Korea, Japan-Australia-India-US, and Japan-US-Philippines” is important. (PNA)