Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert F. Del Rosario received a telephone call Sunday from United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during which the latter extended her congratulations to her newly-appointed Philippine counterpart. Secretary Del Rosario and Secretary Clinton also discussed issues of mutual interest between the Philippines and the United States.
The two Secretaries shared the view that the PH-US Strategic Dialogue, a platform for regular and sustained dialogue between the two countries, would raise their partnership to the next higher level. The first strategic dialogue was held on 27-28 January 2011 in Manila.
They also discussed the regional architecture mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific region, notably the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS).
Secretary Del Rosario welcomed the participation of the US and Russia as new members of the EAS and expressed the hope that ASEAN will continue to play a central role in the EAS, which is a crucial building bloc in the evolving regional architecture.