(VOVworld) – US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday that he believes in the future of US-Philippines relations despite some differences, adding that he hopes to visit Manila again before leaving office in January, 2017. 

US Secretary of State John Kerry (Source: AFP/VNA)

At the swearing-in ceremony for US ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, Kerry said that the alliance between the two countries is unchangeable. He recalled how the US and the Philippines fought together against Japan in World War II, noting that nearly 4 million Filipinos now live in the US and almost a quarter of a million Americans live in the Philippines. Kerry said the two countries will continue to consult openly and frankly on shared issues.