Top world leaders meet in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit from Thursday to Sunday in the Peruvian capital. APEC accounts for nearly 60 percent of the global economy and 40 percent of the world’s population. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON
(Eagle News)– Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Lima, Peru on Friday morning (November 18), assuring the latter that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) will push through.
Yasay, however, said the focus will not be on military exercises but on the cooperation in war against illegal drugs.
“We will continue with EDCA. Not so much to focus on joint military exercises but more on joint cooperation in the area of the war against illegal drugs, corruption, even disaster mitigation and rapid disaster response,” he said.
The EDCA gives US troops access to military bases in the country.
President Rodrigo Duterte on November confirmed that Balikatan exercises will continue, despite of his strong pronouncements against foreign military presence in the country.
Duterte said he approved Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s proposal for the continuation of the Balikatan exercises.
Lorenzana earlier said their recommendation was for the exercises to go on except landing exercises be lessened, and that special operations on counter-terrorism, civic action projects will remain.
