The United States and the Republic of the Philippines held the seventh Bilateral Strategic Dialogue from November 30-December 1, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey co-led the U.S. delegation. Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo and Department of National Defense Undersecretary Ricardo David co-led the Philippine delegation.

The Bilateral Strategic Dialogue is a key mechanism for discussing the full range of political, security, and economic cooperation between the United States and the Philippines. Four working groups convened to develop action plans for expanding our joint partnership on Defense and Security; Economics, Development, and Prosperity; Regional and Global Diplomatic Engagement; and Rule of Law and Law Enforcement. The Joint Statement between the United States and the Philippines issued after the meeting in Manila of President Donald J. Trump and President Rodrigo R. Duterte on November 13, 2017 provided the guidance for the Dialogue.

During the Dialogue, senior officials discussed a wide variety of issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration in areas including maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, cybersecurity, countering transnational drug trafficking, countering terrorism, and improving drug prevention and treatment services, as well as combating wildlife trafficking and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The senior officials further pledged to continue working together to effectively eliminate human trafficking. The U.S. and Philippine delegations emphasized the importance of the rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. The United States congratulated the Philippines on defeating ISIS-supported terrorists in Mindanao and vowed to continue to support the fight against terrorism and the rehabilitation of Marawi.

The U.S. and Philippine delegations reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the extensive economic relationship between the two countries. Both sides noted the substantive discussions on cooperating in areas such as science & technology, agriculture and fisheries, and health and environment. They welcomed the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) discussions held on November 29, and look forward to more robust discussions on ways to expand free, fair and reciprocal bilateral trade, including through exploring a potential Free Trade Agreement.

The United States and the Philippines discussed their shared concerns about security challenges in the region and pledged to work together to end North Korea’s unlawful ballistic missile and nuclear programs, and the United States welcomed the Philippines’ compliance with the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions. Both sides reiterated their commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea in the South China Sea, and stressed the importance of peacefully resolving disputes in accordance with international law, as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention.

Both sides also expressed their desire to strengthen regional cooperation under the ASEAN-U.S. Strategic Partnership and in APEC, and decided to focus on action plans that would contribute to regional stability, economic integration, and connectivity. The United States congratulated the Philippines on its success as the 2017 ASEAN Chair and for hosting President Trump’s successful visit to Manila.

The United States and the Philippines reaffirmed the importance of regular high-level consultations. The United States welcomed the Philippines’ offer to host the next Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Manila in 2018.

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The Department of State welcomes today’s entry into force of the Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area, the world’s largest marine protected area (MPA). The Ross Sea in Antarctica is an area of unique biodiversity and one of the last unspoiled marine environments on the planet. This MPA will create special long-term opportunities for protecting marine life and for promoting marine scientific research.

The Ross Sea MPA was a joint initiative of the United States and New Zealand, and was adopted by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in October of 2016. It is 1.55 million square kilometers in size, about twice the size of the State of Texas.

For further information, contact OES-PA-DG@state.gov. Follow the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at @StateDeptOES.

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External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Good morning, all. I want to welcome Prime Minister Sarraj of Libya to the State Department, and his delegation. We’re just delighted to have them here for some very important discussions today.

PRIME MINISTER AL-SARRAJ: Thank you.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Welcome, Mr. Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER AL-SARRAJ: Thank you. I appreciate it.

QUESTION: (Off-mike.)

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary. Mr. Secretary —

QUESTION: Some in the White House say that they want you to resign. Can you just say something about how this is being handled and what you’re going to do?

QUESTION: Secretary —

SECRETARY TILLERSON: It’s laughable. It’s laughable.

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I extend my best wishes to the government and people of the Central African Republic on the occasion of your country’s national day celebration.

The United States is proud to stand with the government and people of the Central African Republic and we support your courageous effort to create an inclusive society for all ethnic and religious groups. We are determined to support the work of government officials and civil society representatives as they work together to bring peace and security to the country.

May this year’s celebration be a time of peace and unity for all the people of the Central African Republic.

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We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing on November 30 in Bangkok of the great Southeast Asian statesman, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan. Dr. Surin was a tireless champion of the Thai people, an eloquent advocate for all of Southeast Asia, and a dear friend of the United States.

In his many endeavors—as Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Foreign Minister of Thailand, journalist, legislator, educator, and humanitarian—he advanced international understanding and stood staunchly for democratic values. Dr. Surin had a genuine appreciation of the United States, where he obtained advanced degrees from several of our finest universities and served as a Congressional fellow early in his career.

We extend our condolences to his country, family, and loved ones, while saluting his many contributions to the enduring ties between Thailand and the United States and to the diplomatic integration of Southeast Asia.

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