The Pentagon’s efforts to improve U.S. force posture in the Pacific have yielded a flurry of major agreements, with allies motivated by China's behavior.
The one-day gathering was the first of three planned international conferences ahead of a May 1 deadline for the final withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from the country.
The document outlines the terms of a cease-fire and its enforcement, calls for the protection of the rights of women, children and minorities and envisions a truth and reconciliation commission aimed at healing 42 years of conflict.
The State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said the deal includes a “negotiated increase” in Seoul’s share of the cost, but it provided no details.
The agreement will require all incoming Department of Defense military and civilians, their families, contractors and visiting foreign military members to undergo cultural sensitivity training.
Talks between Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and the Philippine defense and foreign secretaries centered on "deepening our alliance and supporting a free and open South China Sea and Indo-Pacific region."
The Federal Labor Relations Authority determined that the Department of Veterans Affairs had violated it's union contract by disciplining employees without a chance to improve.