PH, Japan reaffirm ties

It was in September this year when the two leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. (File Photo: Bongbong Marcos/Facebook)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday reaffirmed their commitment to further bolster their countries’ bilateral ties.

This developed after Marcos and Kishida had a brief conversation on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus Three Summit in Phonm Penh, Cambodia, based on a statement from Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).

This is the second time Marcos and Kishida met in person.

It was in September this year when the two leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

Kishida, Garafil said, was “very pleased” to have a “very rich and thorough” conversation with Marcos in September.

Marcos, in response, said the Philippines and Japan will be able to achieve anything, “as long as they are together,” Garafil added.

“All of the concepts that we first started to discuss when we were in New York, we are continuing to develop in our government so that when the time comes this concept that you have introduced to us on economic stability, is something… that ASEAN, the Philippines — we will continue to develop more of these ideas, and these concepts,” Marcos, as quoted by the OPS, told Kishida.

Garafil said Kishida also looks forward to receiving Marcos in Japan but no date has been set for the President’s possible state visit.

During their first meeting in New York City in September, Marcos and Kishida agreed to improve the Philippines and Japan’s cooperation to address security and economic challenges.

Marcos also presented to Kishida his administration’s priorities aimed at developing agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and cybersecurity sectors.

Japan has been the country’s partner in various fields such as disaster management, Covid-19 response, and infrastructure development.

Kishida, in his latest meeting with Marcos, also expressed his intent to further expand Japan’s cooperation with ASEAN in various areas.

“Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the friendship and cooperation between Japan and ASEAN. And I look forward to advancing the cooperation between ASEAN and Japan,” Kishida told Marcos.