MANILA, Philippines — The commandant of the United States Marine Corps recently met with Philippine military leaders to discuss the importance of the decades-long alliance between Manila and Washington, the US Embassy said on Monday.
Gen. David Berger, commandant of the US Marine Corps, visited Manila on September 10 to 11.
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Berger met with Armed Forces of the Philippines vice chief Lt. Gen. Erickson Gloria, Philippine Navy flag-officer-in-command Rear Adm. Adeluis Bordado and Philippine Marine Corps commandant Maj. Gen. Ariel Casulitan.
Recently I visited with Philippine armed forces leaders to reaffirm U.S. commitment to the Philippine alliance and the Indo-Pacific. Our defense cooperation has been the cornerstone of 70 years of close partnership with the Philippines. pic.twitter.com/vpF9ZeyRYz
— David H. Berger (@CMC_MarineCorps) September 11, 2021
“This is a very important trip for me to visit leaders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in person,” Berger said in a statement.
The US Marines chief also met with the US Embassy leadership, including American marines assigned to the embassy.
Berger's visit to the country is the first of a US Marine Corps commandant since August 2017, according to the US Embassy.
During his visit to the country, Berger said the Philippines-US alliance is important in "maintaining peace and stability in the region, while improving interoperability to respond to crisis and contingencies."
In his meeting with Philippine counterpart Gen. Caculitan, Berger also talked about opportunities for future engagements.
This included future bilateral exercises, including Kamandag and Balikatan.
“Our defense cooperation has been the cornerstone of 70 years of close and strengthening partnership," Berger said. — Patricia Lourdes Viray