MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 9, 2011) – Philippine leader Benigno Aquino and US President Barack Obama to hold a bilateral meeting during the 19th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Indonesia next week.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has confirmed the upcoming meeting of the two leaders. “The meeting will come on the heels of the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to mark the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States,” he said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

The treaty, which was signed in August 1951, formally forged the mutual commitment between the Philippines and the United States to come to each other’s defense against external armed attack.

“These high level engagements between the two countries underscore their strong alliance and strategic partnership,” Del Rosario said.

Aquino and Obama are expected to discuss maritime security, disaster mitigation, food security and education, among other issues during the November 18 meeting. They will also exchange views and perspectives on key regional developments.

This will be the second meeting between the two Presidents. The first one was held after the 2nd ASEAN-US Leaders’ Meeting in New York in September 2010.