Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. held a series of meetings with key members of the U.S. Congress who expressed bipartisan support for intensified cooperation between the Philippines and the United States in light of pressing and emerging challenges.
Together with Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez, Secretary Locsin met with Senator James Risch (R – Idaho), Representative Steve Chabot (R – Ohio), and Representative Joe Courtney (D – Connecticut) in-person and virtually during his four-day visit here.
All three key members of the U.S. Congress expressed their full support for further strengthening ties between the Philippines and the United States, as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations and 70 years since the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty this year.
During his meetings, Secretary Locsin also expressed the Philippine government’s and people’s gratitude to the United States for its donations of vaccines now totalling over nine million through the COVAX facility.
The American lawmakers, for their part, thanked the Philippine Government for getting the Visiting Forces Agreement back on track, underscoring the critical role the Philippines-U.S. alliance continues to play for the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. (DFA) -rir
