WASHINGTON —
Defense Secretary James N. Mattis met with Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana yesterday at the Pentagon to reaffirm the longstanding defense relationship between the United States and the Philippines, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, Dana W. White, said in a readout following the meeting.
The leaders discussed a broad range of defense issues, she said, including their shared commitment to fighting terrorism, and reaffirmed continued U.S. military advisory support to assist the Philippines in combatting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and other violent extremist networks.
At the meeting, Mattis thanked Lorenzana for his country’s contribution to maritime security through its trilateral air and maritime patrols with Indonesia and Malaysia in the Sulu and Celebes Seas, White said.
Mattis and Lorenzana last met in June during the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
