Blinken says Philippines ties extraordinary, U.S. committed to defence pact

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines August 5, 2022. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS

MANILA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday assured new Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr that relations between their two countries were extraordinary and said Washington was committed to their joint defence pact.

Marcos, meeting Blinken at the presidential palace in Manila, said the current geopolitical environment showed how important their ties were, and U.S. speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit highlighted how volatile the region was.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)