President Rodrigo Duterte and the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, give each other a fist bump at the Malacañang Palace. Photo/Sen. Bong Go
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday met US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Malacañang.
Austin paid a courtesy call on Duterte upon arrival in the country.
READ: US defense chief arrives in PH, to meet with Duterte
Other Philippine officials present at the courtesy call were Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, and Duterte’s former long-time aide Senator Christopher “Bong” Go.
The US Embassy said Austin will “discuss avenues to further strengthen” security cooperation between Manila and Washington.
Austin is scheduled to meet with Lorenzana and Locsin on Friday.
The US defense chief is on an official visit to Southeast Asia, also making stops in Singapore and Vietnam.