United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson on Wednesday expressed confidence that the relationship between the two countries will continue to flourish in 2023.
Carlson said her forecast stemmed from the high level of engagements the US and the Philippines have had in the past several months.
"In my 37 years as a diplomat, I have never seen this level of bilateral engagement in such a short period of time. It is a testament to the significance of our relationship," she said.
In a statement, the American diplomat reiterated the US' commitment to strengthen its ties with the Philippines, which she called "a cornerstone of the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific Strategy."
In fact, she said officials from the US State and Defense departments will lead a senior US interagency delegation to the annual US-Philippine Bilateral Strategic Dialogue later this month.
The delegation will meet with various Philippine agencies to strategize about ways to advance cooperation in multiple fields, including energy and food security, defense, support for the judiciary, protecting the environment, and enhancing people-to-people ties, Carlson said.
"In April, the U.S. and Philippine militaries will begin Exercise Balikatan 23, the largest joint military exercise in the history of our Alliance. Our forces will work shoulder-to-shoulder on shared operations and tactics on land, at sea, and in the air," she added.
This year will also be "a year to celebrate a milestone in bilateral ties," according to Carlson as the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright program in the Philippines.
"The work we do together with our Filipino friends, partners, and allies is important: the U.S.-Philippine relationship is central to ensuring an Indo-Pacific region that is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient," Carlson said, adding she "can't wait to see what we can achieve together in 2023 and beyond."