Following the bilateral meeting between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and US President Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Department of National Defense (DND) is pleased to announce the finalization of the Philippines-United States Bilateral Defense Guidelines.
Defense department disclosed; with both countries’ commitment to ensure the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)’s continued relevance to addressing contemporary and emerging security challenges, the Philippines and United States established the Bilateral Defense Guidelines which support a mutual understanding of roles, missions, and capabilities within the framework of the alliance.
The finalization of the Guidelines is in line with the announcement of President Marcos to strengthen and redefine Philippines-United States relations and the roles of the two countries in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions, according to DND Public Assafir Service Director Arsenio R. Andolong .
The Bilateral Defense Guidelines intend to institutionalize key bilateral priorities, mechanisms, and processes to deepen alliance cooperation and interoperability across land, sea, air, space, and cyber space. It also recalls alliance foundations to include the reaffirmation of both countries’ commitment to the MDT and the conclusion of defense agreements and mechanisms that demonstrate the adaptability and evolution of the alliance in responding to both conventional and non-conventional challenges through the years.
Based on the Guidelines, the two defense establishments aim to strengthen the defense partnership through enhancing alliance coordination and bilateral planning; expanding information-sharing; modernizing defense capabilities; deepening interoperability and people-to-people ties, combatting transnational and non-conventional threats, and contributing to global and regional peace and stability.
The release of the Bilateral Defense Guidelines marks an important milestone in the longstanding partnership between the Philippines and the United States. It serves as a testament to the strong and enduring partnership between the Philippines and the United States, and reflects the shared commitment of both countries to uphold peace, stability, and the rule of law in the region.