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21 January 2015

 

JOINT STATEMENT

 

The fifth Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) between the Philippines and the United States was held in Manila, the Philippines, on 20-21 January 2015.  The annual dialogue, which has enriched our bilateral alliance by providing a forum for strengthening cooperation, addressed medium and long-term strategies to keep our alliance attuned to the realities of the 21st century.

We reaffirmed our steadfast commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951, as reiterated in the November 2011 Manila Declaration and reiterated in the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). We decided to continue mutually beneficial efforts to reinforce our respective national and collective defense capabilities, including countering terrorism; to strengthen maritime security and maritime domain awareness; and to enhance disaster risk management, disaster preparedness, and rapid response.

We decided to explore new opportunities and innovative frameworks to deepen our economic and development partnership, and to address issues affecting cooperation in these areas. We welcomed the willingness of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to consider the Philippines eligible for a second compact, and we intend to work together to ensure that projects under this compact will contribute concretely to Philippine national development. We also discussed collaboration in science and technology, energy security, health, climate change, and other areas.

We underscored our shared commitment to respecting the rule of law and human rights, and discussed cooperative activities in enhancing law enforcement and combating transnational crime, including money laundering; cybercrime; and trafficking in persons, wildlife, and illicit drugs.

We had an in-depth exchange of views on regional and global developments, including measures to ensure that the alliance continues to contribute to regional peace and stability. The two sides expressed concern over developments in the South China Sea that are inconsistent with the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and international law and emphasized the importance of upholding peace and stability, respect for international law, unimpeded lawful commerce, and freedom of navigation and overflight.  The two sides reiterated that international disputes in the South China Sea should be settled in accordance with international law, and through diplomatic and other peaceful means, including the use of international arbitration. We expressed concern about the ambiguity and potential breadth of some maritime claims and emphasized that maritime claims in the South China Sea must be derived from land features in accordance with the international law of the sea, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the  Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two sides expressed opposition to unilateral measures that escalate tensions in the region.

We recognized the mutual benefits derived from people-to-people exchanges and noted that our people-to-people ties remain vibrant, enriching both cultures and fostering deeper mutual understanding.

The Fifth Dialogue was co-chaired by Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Evan P. Garcia and Undersecretary of National Defense Pio Lorenzo F. Batino for the Republic of the Philippines and by Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel and Assistant Secretary of Defense David Shear for the United States. END