A trilateral defense discussion was recently conducted by the Philippines with Japan and the United States to enhance cooperation with them in the field of maritime security among other things, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Friday, Sept. 16.
DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said that the Inaugural Philippines-Japan-US Trilateral Defense Policy Dialogue (TDPD) was held last Sept. 13 via video teleconference.
The Philippine delegation was led by DND Office for Strategic Assessments and International Affairs Director Marita Yoro, who discussed maritime security challenges and possible areas of cooperation with her counterparts, Mr. Miura Jun, director general for international affairs of Japan’s Bureau of Defense Policy; and Ms. Lindsey Ford, US deputy assistant secretary of defense.
“They exchanged views on common defense and security challenges with an emphasis on the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight and the rules-based order to ensure peace and stability in the region,” Andolong said.
The leaders from each country also expressed willingness to pursue deeper partnership in the fields of maritime domain awareness, cyber security, information sharing, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR).
Andolong said the meeting concluded as the three officials agreed to regularly convene the dialogue.