(Photo courtesy of DND)
The Philippines is seeking closer defense and security cooperation with the United States, Japan and Australia under the informal Squad grouping to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Thursday.
Speaking at a media briefing in Cebu following the turnover of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus chairship to Singapore, Teodoro said the four countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation.
“We also held a Squad ministerial meeting yesterday afternoon (Oct. 28) where we affirmed the collective desire of the Philippines, Australia, Japan, and the United States to enhance our bilateral and four-way cooperation towards a safer and more prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Teodoro said.
The Squad is an informal defense and security grouping comprising the Philippines, United States, Japan and Australia, which seeks to strengthen coordination in addressing regional security challenges.
Teodoro also reported that the Philippines chaired separate ASEAN Plus One informal defense ministers’ meetings on Thursday with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.
According to Teodoro, the discussions focused on expanding defense engagement between ASEAN and its key partners, particularly in addressing emerging regional security concerns.
He said ASEAN member states expressed interest in deeper and more sustained security cooperation with both Washington and Tokyo.
Teodoro described the discussions as “open, candid, frank, and were very productive,” noting that ASEAN members called for greater and more robust engagement by Japan and the United States in the region.
The meetings highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen defense partnerships and regional coordination amid evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
