Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement Between Philippines and U.S. Signed (Full Document)
Philippine Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin and US ambassador Philip Goldberg signed the 10-year agreement Monday to allow a bigger US military presence on Filipino territory.
The pact between the two nations is seen as another element of President Barack Obama’s effort to focus US military and economic attention more heavily on Asia.
Obama said the deal would see more US troops rotate through the Philippines for joint military training exercises, but emphasised there would be no return of permanent American bases.
“Greater cooperation between American and Filipino forces would enhance our ability to train, exercise, and operate with each other and respond even faster to a range of challenges,” Obama said in a written response to questions by local television network ABS-CBN ahead of his visit.
Read the full document of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement below:
Click to access 20140428-EDCA.pdf
Read also the statement of Secretary Albert F. del Rosario on the signing of the PH-U.S. Enhanced defense Cooperation Agreement [April 28, 2014].
The Philippines welcomes the signing of the PH-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
This Agreement, concluded after intensive and comprehensive negotiations over the course of nearly two years, marks a milestone in our shared history as enduring treaty allies.
The EDCA elevates to a higher plane of engagement our already robust defense alliance, a cornerstone of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. It provides new momentum for our partnership and opens up fresh avenues of bilateral cooperation.
Given the rapidly evolving regional architecture and domestic realities, our dynamic and forward-looking partnership attaches great importance in enhancing our individual and collective self-defense capabilities, strengthening maritime security and maritime domain awareness, and improving humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capacities.
These are valuable components of a responsible and responsive security engagement that will benefit both our countries and peoples, and contribute to regional and international security and stability.
With the EDCA, the Philippines and the United States as sovereign allies have written a new chapter for our modern and mature partnership, firmly grounded on deeply-held democratic values, common interests and shared aspirations.