Long-time allies the United States and the Philippines on Thursday
blasted North Korea's "provocative" rocket launch as a threat to
regional security and pledged to strengthen their military ties.
In a statement following bilateral talks attended by top diplomats and
security officials, the two countries vowed to boost cooperation in the
wake of Pyongyang's move.
They agreed to bolster
joint efforts relating to maritime security, disaster response, law
enforcement and cyber-security, and non-proliferation (of nuclear
weapons), the statement said.
"The two sides
also strongly condemned... (the launch) utilizing ballistic missile
technology and emphasised that this highly provocative act is in direct
violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions," the statement
said.
"Given this current threat to regional
security, both sides will strengthen and increase their close alliance
coordination," it said.
The meeting was attended
by US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary
of Defense Mark Lippert and their Filipino counterparts Erlinda Basilio
and Pio Batino.
The US considers the Philippines
a major non-NATO ally in the Asia Pacific region, where Washington had
earlier announced a strategic shift of its forces.
Filipino officials have previously said they hoped the Philippines
could play a key role in that pivot, with a former US naval base north
of Manila already increasingly accommodating American carriers and
submarines.
The meeting also came at a time when
the Philippines, along with other Southeast Asian countries, is
embroiled in an increasingly tense territorial dispute with China
involving territories in the South China Sea.
Washington had earlier warned China against its perceived aggressiveness in staking out its claims. —Agence France-Presse
0 comments:
Post a Comment