Remarks by President Obama and President Aquino of the Philippines before Bilateral Meeting

Grand Hyatt
Bali, Indonesia

11:13 A.M. WITA

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Let me just say how much I appreciate the opportunity to meet again with President Aquino.  He has been an outstanding partner in a full range of multilateral issues.  We just had an excellent meeting at APEC in Honolulu, that I was happy to host.

Obviously, the bilateral relationship between the United States and the Philippines is one that goes back for decades.  We have a 60-year alliance that assures that we are looking out for each other when it comes to security.  But more importantly, we have incredible person-to-person relations between our two countries.  Obviously, the contribution of Filipino Americans to the growth and prosperity of the United States has been incredibly important.  And I think the Philippines obviously has benefited from their interaction with Americans on a whole range of issues.

This is an opportunity for us to discuss how we can further deepen that relationship; also, to discuss the topics of the East Asia Summit — issues like maritime security, nonproliferation, disaster and humanitarian relief.

And so I just want to commend President Aquino for his leadership, for his reform efforts.  And I think that a relationship that’s already very strong can only become stronger as a consequence of our continued interaction.

So it’s wonderful to see you again, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT AQUINO:  Thank you, Mr. President.  I am glad to have this opportunity to share our viewpoints and our thoughts on a wide range of topics that you already covered.

It’s true, we have one of the longest-running relationships, a strong base of shared values and history.  And we look forward, in these turbulent times of ours, to really further strengthen our relationship.

So thank you so much.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you. 

Thank you, everybody.

END
11:15 A.M. WITA