Obama hails Aquino reforms

President Barack Obama meets with President Benigno Aquino III on the sidelines of the Asean and East Asia summit in Nusa Dua, on the island of Bali, Indonesia, Friday. AP

BALI, Indonesia – President Barack Obama commended President Benigno Aquino III for his leadership and “reforms” in government during a meeting before noon Friday on the sidelines of the 19th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit here.

The two leaders met at the grand ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Bali hotel amid tight security as subsidiary meetings at the summit went on full swing at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center.

Obama told Aquino that relations between the two countries go back for decades and their alliance “shows that we’re looking out for each other.”

“But more importantly, we have incredible person-to-person relationship between our two counties,” he said  before a group of US officials, led by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Philippine officials headed by Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Cuisia.

Obama said the meeting was an opportunity to “deepen our relationships” and to tackle maritime security and other key issues on the agenda of the Asean summit and related summits.

“I just wanna commend President Aquino for his leadership and his reform efforts. I think our relationship that is already very strong can only become stronger,” he said in an opening statement.

In return, Mr. Aquino said: “Thank you Mr. President for granting this opportunity to share our viewpoints and talk on a wide range of issues. It’s true we’ve had one of the longest relationships based on shared values and history and in these turbulent times we look forward to [strengthening it.]”

After the opening remarks, they sat down for talks, and journalists were escorted out of the hall.

The meeting came ahead of the Asean-US Leaders’ Summit Friday afternoon, which the two leaders are co-hosting, and Saturday’s East Asia Summit of 18 Asia-Pacific nations, which have taken in the United States and Russia as new members.

It came days after the visit to Manila of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who vowed greater support for the Philippines and warned countries claiming the Spratly islands against using “intimidation or coercion,” and after Obama announced the deployment of more American troops in Australia.