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Release
Immediate Release

Readout of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's Meeting With Philippine Secretary of National Defense Voltaire Gazmin in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Nov. 3, 2015

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook released the following readout:

 

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter held a bilateral meeting today with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Voltaire Gazmin in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers’ Meeting – Plus (ADMM-Plus).

 

The secretaries reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Philippines alliance and the enduring ties between the two nations. 

Secretary Carter welcomed the opportunity to discuss regional security issues with one of our closest allies in the Asia-Pacific, and stressed that the U.S. commitment to defend the Philippines is ironclad. 

 

Secretary Gazmin expressed Philippine support for U.S. forces’ activities in the South China Sea, and welcomed closer cooperation with the United States in Philippine force modernization efforts.