Manalo: PH-US 2+2 opens channels for stronger trade, investment ties

The high-level meeting in Washington of Philippine and US foreign affairs and defense officials has also opened new channels for stronger bilateral trade and investment relations, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said Thursday.

Manalo thus remarked after he and Defense officer in charge Carlito Galvez met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to boost the countries' political and military engagement.

“The 2+2 meeting, which was the first to be held in seven years, opened new channels for improving the scale and depth of the bilateral partnership in trade and investments," Manalo said in a statement.

He said the meeting gave due importance to the priority of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. "to modernize infrastructure, achieve food security and promote energy security while transitioning to clean energy.”

Manalo said the countries agreed to reinforce their partnership “with a new focus on a strong long-term economic partnership that has dividends for the Philippines’ upward economic trajectory as a middle-income economy”.

“This refocusing takes into account the stakes of communities in the relationship, as well as our responsibilities with respect to climate change and environment,” Manalo said.

A joint statement was issued by the Philippines and the US following the meeting where they voiced their strong objections to the unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the SCS, including the recent attempts of the People’s Republic of China to disrupt the Philippines' lawful operations at and around Second Thomas Shoal and the repeated massing of PRC maritime militia vessels at several sites within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.

China for its part, expressed “serious concern” and “strong dissatisfaction” over heir statements, saying it “distorts and smears China’s legitimate maritime law enforcement actions” in the disputed waters.

Apart from peace and security, other issues discussed in the meeting are climate-smart technologies and policies, climate finance, green metals, clean energy transition and de-carbonization strategies, critical infrastructure, and new technologies for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation.

Established in 2012, the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is a policy-level dialogue for advancing alliance-related priorities. It is co-chaired by the Secretaries of the Philippine Departments of Foreign Affairs and National Defense and the U.S. Departments of State and Defense.

The 2+2 was first convened on April 30, 2012. It was followed on January 12, 2016. —NB, GMA Integrated News