NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
PBBM Discusses WPS With US VP Kamala Harris
Photo credit: PCO
In a prelude to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. engaged in a dialogue with US Vice President Kamala Harris.
The focus of their discussion was the Philippines' assessment of the situation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), as the nation strives to maintain peace in the region.
President Marcos disclosed that Vice President Harris expressed keen interest in understanding the Philippines' perspective on the WPS situation during their meeting on Thursday.
The President provided a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the region and explored potential avenues for future collaboration.
"We had a meeting with Vice-President Kamala Harris before the beginning of the APEC conference, and she was very interested to know what our assessment was on the situation in the West Philippines Sea," President Marcos stated.
"We tried to discuss some of the ways forward, and I think that generally speaking, especially after my meeting with President Xi, we will put together the ways forward."
Emphasizing the nation's commitment to regional peace, President Marcos underscored the Philippines' ongoing efforts, involving the Philippine Coast Guard, the military, and the entire government.
President Marcos anticipates gaining valuable insights from his impending meeting with President Xi, where he aims to explore measures to de-escalate tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
"We will put all of these together so that we'll be able to strategize for the near future on what the Philippines’ role will be or what is the proper Philippines’ role in the West Philippine Sea," he affirmed.
The President highlighted that he and Vice President Harris reaffirmed the robustness of the Philippine-US alliance during their meeting. Both leaders reiterated their shared commitment to uphold international rules and norms, particularly in the South China Sea.
This marks the fifth meeting between President Marcos and Vice President Harris.
Previous encounters include Harris's visit to Manila in November 2022, a meeting at the Naval Observatory in May 2023, a bilateral meeting on the margins of the East Asia Summit in Jakarta in September 2023, and a trilateral meeting with Japan Prime Minister Kishida in Jakarta in the same month.
The focus of their discussion was the Philippines' assessment of the situation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), as the nation strives to maintain peace in the region.
President Marcos disclosed that Vice President Harris expressed keen interest in understanding the Philippines' perspective on the WPS situation during their meeting on Thursday.
The President provided a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the region and explored potential avenues for future collaboration.
"We had a meeting with Vice-President Kamala Harris before the beginning of the APEC conference, and she was very interested to know what our assessment was on the situation in the West Philippines Sea," President Marcos stated.
"We tried to discuss some of the ways forward, and I think that generally speaking, especially after my meeting with President Xi, we will put together the ways forward."
Emphasizing the nation's commitment to regional peace, President Marcos underscored the Philippines' ongoing efforts, involving the Philippine Coast Guard, the military, and the entire government.
President Marcos anticipates gaining valuable insights from his impending meeting with President Xi, where he aims to explore measures to de-escalate tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
"We will put all of these together so that we'll be able to strategize for the near future on what the Philippines’ role will be or what is the proper Philippines’ role in the West Philippine Sea," he affirmed.
The President highlighted that he and Vice President Harris reaffirmed the robustness of the Philippine-US alliance during their meeting. Both leaders reiterated their shared commitment to uphold international rules and norms, particularly in the South China Sea.
This marks the fifth meeting between President Marcos and Vice President Harris.
Previous encounters include Harris's visit to Manila in November 2022, a meeting at the Naval Observatory in May 2023, a bilateral meeting on the margins of the East Asia Summit in Jakarta in September 2023, and a trilateral meeting with Japan Prime Minister Kishida in Jakarta in the same month.
Nov 17, 2023
