During the press conference following the joint meeting between Secretaries Gates and Teodoro, Secretary Gates said he looks forward to meeting Filipino soldiers and telling them that that the U.S. and the Philippines are partners. He said that the U.S. will “continue to strongly support their efforts to defeat terrorists and extremists threatening their country and the region.” Secretary Teodoro, meanwhile, said the Philippines is interested in engaging in more cooperative activities with the U.S. that will reveal and complement each other’s strengths and limitations so that both countries could benefit from the cooperation.
