FILE PHOTO: U.S. military forces cross a flooded area near the shore during the annual Philippines-US amphibious landing exercise (PHIBLEX) at San Antonio, Zambales province, Philippines October 7, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� A two-decades-old defense 辫补肠迟听between the听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别s and the United States has been听谤别惫补尘辫别诲听and its new terms submitted to President Rodrigo听顿耻迟别谤迟别听for his consideration, Manila鈥檚 ambassador to Washington told Reuters.
The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which provides rules for the rotation of thousands of听鲍.厂. troops in and out of the听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别s for war games and exercises, will end in August if听顿耻迟别谤迟别听decides to terminate the deal.
顿耻迟别谤迟别听unilaterally canceled the VFA last year in an angry rebuke after an ally was denied a听鲍.厂. visa, but twice suspended its termination to create what听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别聽officials say is a window for better terms to be agreed upon.
鈥淲e are听肠辞苍蹿颈诲别苍迟听he (Duterte) will see that there鈥檚 marked improvement in the terms of agreement,鈥� Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said in a virtual interview.
Romualdez did not specify what revisions had been made, but said the terms now agreed were 鈥渁cceptable鈥� and 鈥渕utually beneficial鈥�.
Manila has in the past been unhappy about iss耻别蝉听such as a lack of jurisdiction over听鲍.厂. personnel guilty of crimes and damage to the environment during maritime drills.
Ties between the United States and its former colony have been complicated by听顿耻迟别谤迟别鈥榮 rise to power in 2016 and his frequent condemnation of听鲍.厂. foreign policy and embrace of China.
顿耻迟别谤迟别听has said the United States should pay more if it wants to maintain the VFA.
FILE PHOTO: A Filipino soldier uses a harness to carry a mock victim while a U.S. military soldier looks on, as part of an earthquake scenario during the Philippines and United States annual Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder) exercises inside the Fort Magsaysay military headquarters in Nueva Ecija province, north of Manila, Philippines May 12, 2017. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo
The听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别s is by far the largest recipient of听鲍.厂. military assistance in the Indo-Pacific region, having received 33 billion pesos ($690.45 million) worth since 2015, the听鲍.厂. Embassy in Manila has said.
Romualdez said the听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别s expects to get $40 million in听鲍.厂. foreign military financing in its next fiscal year.
The long-standing close ties between the militaries of the two countries have boosted the capability of听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别聽forces while giving the United States an important foothold in a region where China鈥檚 power and influence are growing.
鈥淚t is critical for our soldiers to be able to operate together with an ally like the听鲍.厂.,鈥� said Romualdez.
The听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别s also expects to receive a portion of the 80 million doses of coronavirus vaccines that the Biden administration has said it will distribute globally, he said.
($1 = 47.7950听笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈苍别聽pesos)