Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo Before Their Meeting

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Hello, everyone.  I am very, very pleased to be here for what is now the second trilateral ministerial meeting between Japan, the Philippines, and the United States.  This follows on the meeting held with President Marcos, Prime Minister Kishida, and Vice President Harris in Jakarta.

We are very pleased and proud today to continue the work that we’re doing to support and work with our Filipino and Japanese allies in the South China Sea and in the East China Sea, and we’re looking forward to following up on the work that we’ve already started to look at how we can strengthen trilateral cooperation among us to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, and also to foster, to strengthen economic resilience and to promote the common prosperity of our people.

I think all three countries believe strongly that our collaboration, not only on a bilateral basis but on a trilateral basis, can produce very positive benefits not only for our countries but also for other countries and partners in the region and beyond.

So I’m very pleased today that we have this opportunity to actually deepen the work that we’ve already begun and to pursue it in the months ahead.  Thank you.