Lorenzana, US counterpart to meet on various issues

FILE: Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Monday (June 10, 2019). (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA — Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and his American counterpart, Mark Esper, are scheduled to meet in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City to discuss issues of mutual concern Tuesday.

DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the matter on the West Philippine Sea is part of the agenda of the meeting between the two defense chiefs.

“Most likely kasi kung (because as for) security issues, (that is) always part of the agenda,” he added in an interview with reporters Sunday.

Other topics that will be discussed are terrorism and US-Philippine defense relations, Andolong said.

The meeting between Lorenzana and Esper is expected to take place around 1 p.m. on Tuesday at the DND main building.

Esper left the US last week to attend the 51st US-Republic of Korea Security Consultative Meeting before heading towards Thailand to participate in the ASEAN-Defense Minister Meeting Plus.

After his visit to the Philippines, Esper will proceed to Vietnam to discuss the regional security environment and how to boost further the defense relations between the two countries.