New York City — Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, met with Filipino Secretary of Foreign Affairs Theresa Lazaro on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High Level Week.

The Ranking Member underscored strong bipartisan support for the U.S.-Philippines alliance in Congress and the United States’ commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines in the South China Sea. The leaders discussed impacts of the war in Iran, as well as the economic and trade relationship between the United States and the Philippines. The Ranking Member thanked the Foreign Minister for the Philippines’ effective chairmanship of ASEAN and its continued cooperation with U.S. allies and partners in the region