Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. joined the Philippine delegation led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. for the historic Philippines-Japan-United States (PH-JP-US) Trilateral Leaders’ Summit held on April 12, 2024, as well as the President’s Bilateral Meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on April 13, 2024 in Washington DC, USA.

At the sidelines of the Working Visit, the inaugural 3+3 Ministerial Meeting was held among the Foreign/State and Defense Secretaries, as well as the National Security Advisers of the Philippines and the United States. 

During the 3+3 Ministerial Meeting, Secretary Teodoro emphasized the importance of strengthening Philippine-US defense interoperability, particularly in maritime and cyber domains. This aligns with the ongoing transformation of the Department of National Defense (DND). The meeting also reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to a rules-based international order and in pursuit of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

The PH-US 3+3 Ministerial Meeting is envisioned as a regular forum, complementing the annual PH-US Bilateral Strategic Dialogue and PH-US Maritime Dialogue. This offers another avenue for ongoing discussions regarding the Mutual Defense Treaty.