The Philippines, the United States, and Japan are seeking a deeper trilateral cooperation, the US State Department said in a statement.

In a meeting between Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related foreign ministers’ meeting in Malaysia, the three diplomats agreed to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific.

They reaffirmed their commitment to coordinate cooperation on maritime security, including naval cooperation activities, trilateral military exercises, and capacity-building and assistance for the Philippine Coast Guard and other Philippine maritime authorities.

“The Secretaries and Foreign Minister concurred on the need to grow our economic partnership in tandem with trilateral security ties, including by unlocking private sector investment in high impact infrastructure projects in the Luzon Economic Corridor,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

U.S. takes aim at mineral wealth

In the same meeting, Rubio also noted the Philippines’ vast wealth in critical minerals. He also stressed the need to diversify critical mineral supply chains.

The three officials also proposed advancing trilateral cooperation in the Philippines on cyber security, energy (including civil nuclear energy), and investments in reliable and secure telecommunications networks.

“The officials concluded with an agreement to hold sectoral trilateral discussions at the senior officials’ level in coming months to advance our shared desire for peace and security in the region,” Bruce said.

For her part, the DFA chief hailed the US and Japan calling them as “indispensable partners” in enhancing the Philippines’ defense and security capabilities.

She expressed appreciation for the two countries’ enduring support for the Philippines’ position in the South China Sea and Washington, DC’s steadfast commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty.