The Philippines and United States will convene its Third Maritime Dialogue in Manila this year following the successful conclusion of the 11th bilateral strategic dialogue in Washington early this week.

It was announced in a joint statement released by the United States and the Philippines on Thursday.

"The US and Philippine governments decided to convene the 3rd Maritime Dialogue in September/October 2024 in Manila and build upon the outcomes of the countries’ prior dialogues and meetings," it stated.

It also noted that the two countries agree to "explore additional opportunities to strengthen global support for upholding the international law of the sea".

They also wants to "deepen cooperation to strengthen efforts in addressing Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, in line with relevant international law and voluntary guidelines; and consider and develop, as appropriate, procedures and protocols on cooperative maritime law enforcement operations, in accordance with international law and our respective national laws."

Both countries also expressed strong opposition to "any threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."

As they "reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait; and committed to advance a free, safe, and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive, prosperous, secure, and based on international law, and that protects shared principles including territorial integrity; sovereignty; sovereign rights and jurisdiction; and the peaceful resolution of disputes." Robina Asido/DMS