Brown took part in a series of engagements with Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo M. Ano, Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. during his first visit to the Philippines as chairman.
The leaders discussed bilateral security assistance and the importance of maritime domain awareness. They also shared their assessment of the regional security environment and the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to a summary of the meetings.
“The U.S.-Philippines Alliance has upheld peace and security in the Indo-Pacific for more than 70 years with a shared vision of transparency, the rule of law, respect for sovereignty, and the peaceful resolution of disputes,” the summary reads.
Brown also visited a U.S. rotational access site designated as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. The sites are designed to strengthen combined training, exercises and interoperability between the two countries.
In a reflection of both countries’ commitment to deepening ties, the U.S. and the Philippines added four new rotational sites in 2023 as part of an expansion of the EDCA, which was first signed in 2014. That brings the total to nine sites under the agreement. Brown, who first visited the Philippines in 1987 as a junior officer, said he has watched the partnership grow over the past nearly 40 years and further accelerate in more recent years.
“I do see that the relationship is gaining momentum,” Brown said yesterday ahead of the visit. He added that Philippine relationships with other regional allies are also growing.
“I think it’s a positive trajectory,” he said.
Brown’s visit to the Philippines was the first stop on a multiday visit to the Indo-Pacific where he will build upon U.S. investments in partnerships throughout the region.
It is his second visit to the Indo-Pacific region since taking office.
Robust partnerships with key regional allies remain central to the United States’ approach to advancing the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific amid increased competition with China, the United States’ pacing challenge, and threats posed by North Korea.
