Philippines and US Plan ‘2-plus-2’ Meeting in March, Envoy Reports

Philippines and U.S. Plan Diplomatic Meeting in March

MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines and the United States are set to have a "2-plus-2 meeting" involving senior diplomatic and defense officials in Manila this coming March, according to the Philippine ambassador to Washington.

In a phone message, Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez confirmed reports indicating ongoing discussions about the meeting. He mentioned that there is a clear "intention" to hold this gathering, although plans are still being finalized.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin are expected to engage with their Philippine counterparts, Enrique Manalo and Gilberto Teodoro, in March. This will mark the inaugural occurrence of such a dialogue in the Philippines since the format’s introduction in 2012.

Romualdez did not provide details regarding the agenda for the anticipated meeting, which comes amid rising tensions between the Philippines and China over issues in the South China Sea.

The Philippines is a military ally of the United States.

There was no immediate response from the Philippine defense secretary, the foreign ministry, or the U.S. State Department. A spokesperson at the U.S. embassy in Manila indicated that there were no new announcements available at this time.

The senior foreign and defense officials from both nations last met in Washington in April, marking the resumption of high-level dialogues after a seven-year hiatus, which highlighted moves by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration to strengthen ties that had been strained under his predecessor’s anti-U.S. policy.