November 13, 2024
MANILA – United States (US) Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III will visit the Philippines next week as part of ongoing efforts to modernize alliances and partnerships toward a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
In a press statement on Wednesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder detailed that Austin will also visit Australia, Laos, and Fiji to participate in a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings.
“These engagements will drive ongoing efforts to modernize our alliances and partnerships toward our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Ryder.
According to Ryder, Austin will first travel to Darwin, Australia for multilateral meetings with regional allies and engagements with the US Marines from the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin.
Austin will then make his fourth visit to the Philippines, where he is expected to “advance security objectives with Philippine leaders and meet with US and Philippine forces.”
He would then visit Laos on November 21 and conclude his trip to Fiji, making his first-ever visit to the country.
“Austin’s trip comes as the US builds on unprecedented cooperation with like-minded countries to strengthen regional security,” said Ryder.