{"id":130892,"date":"2017-11-13T21:51:08","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T02:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=130892"},"modified":"2017-11-13T21:51:08","modified_gmt":"2017-11-14T02:51:08","slug":"japan-vows-to-strengthen-cooperation-with-asean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2017\/11\/13\/japan-vows-to-strengthen-cooperation-with-asean\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan vows to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"FILE:<\/a>
FILE: Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe listens to the discussions during a bilateral meeting with the Philippines at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on November 13, 2017. KARL NORMAN ALONZO\/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA<\/strong> \u2014 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to deepen cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in various areas such as maritime security, defense, trade, infrastructure development, combating terrorism, disaster risk reduction and cultural exchanges.<\/p>\n

Abe made the commitment during the 20th ASEAN-Japan Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Monday, November 13.<\/p>\n

The summit was held as part of the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings being hosted by the Philippines this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cJapan will strongly push forward ASEAN by exercising leadership so that integration goes even further as a community,\u201d Abe said in his opening remarks during the summit.<\/p>\n

\u201cFurthermore, we will cooperate in creating a resilient society, where all peoples of the region can exhibit in freedom their potential to the fore, enjoy peace and prosperity based on the rule of law and be able to actually feel the quality of life without inequalities,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Abe said Japan is willing to share its knowledge and experience with the ASEAN member states in dealing with various challenges such as ageing with low fertility, environment and energy.<\/p>\n

The Prime Minister likewise pledged to support ASEAN in quality infrastructure upgrading, sophistication of industrial structure and human resource development for the progress of the entire ASEAN region.<\/p>\n

\u201cJapan and ASEAN is promoting enhanced connectivity and improved industrial infrastructure by investing in quality infrastructure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said Japan will continue to expedite the Yen Loan Project and it also wishes to see the early conclusion of Japan-ASEAN Technical Cooperation Agreement which was agreed upon at the Japan-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in August.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the same time, we wish to contribute to the Master Plan on Connectivity impact led by ASEAN,\u201d the Japanese leader added.<\/p>\n

Abe said Japan will also promote innovation where Japanese and ASEAN companies collaborate so that the companies of ASEAN are not left behind the economic growth and strong small and medium enterprises are created one after another.<\/p>\n

He likewise took note of the bilateral currencies swap arrangement where yen withdrawal is possible, which was concluded for the first time with the Philippines.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope this to cover other countries so as to seek financial stability within the region,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In the area of peace and stability, Abe said Japan will work for the substantial upgrading of human resource development, provision of supplies and intellectual contribution in the ASEAN member states in order to develop free and open international orders based on the rule of law.<\/p>\n

Abe committed to provide 55 billion yen in the next three years for the purpose of enhancing maritime law enforcement capacity.<\/p>\n

In response to the rising threat of terrorism in Asia, Abe said Japan continues to assist ASEAN nations in the domain of terrorism and violent extremism.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we cooperate in reconstruction efforts in Marawi in the Philippines, we will also cooperate so as to support the government of Myanmar toward the improved situation in the Rakhine State,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In the area of partners for prosperity, Abe said he wishes to promote free trade by clearly presenting the importance of free and open trade and investment.<\/p>\n

In the area of improving quality of life, Abe said Japan is committed to help ASEAN in promoting a society where people just don’t live long but can enjoy healthy longevity.<\/p>\n

He said one way of achieving this is through the Japan-ASEAN Environmental Initiative, which aims to cooperate for building recycling-oriented society so that sustainable development goals are also attained in other areas of science and technology, disaster risk reduction and health.<\/p>\n

In cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Abe cited 30,000 people in exchange program, 2.1 million persons in Japanese language partnership as well as the Japan-ASEAN Sports Ministers\u2019 Meeting that was held in Japan for the first time last October.<\/p>\n

In closing, Abe raised the nuclear and missile issues of North Korea saying that it was a \u201cgrave and imminent threat\u201d that his country should never experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to make North Korea change their policy by enhancing the pressure applied to North Korea to the highest level by all available means, including the full implementation of the Security Council\u2019s resolutions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For his part, President Rodrigo Duterte, who is the Chairman of this year\u2019s ASEAN, expressed his warmest congratulations to Prime Minister Abe on his reelection last month on behalf of other ASEAN leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cASEAN-Japan relations have matured into a strategic partnership for peace and stability, prosperity, quality of life, and mutual trust and understanding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can trace the beginnings of today\u2019s robust ASEAN-Japan relations to 1977, when the Fukuda Doctrine, being Japan\u2019s foreign policy, approached towards a heart-to-heart relationship with our region,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on equal partnership and 40 years later, Japan has become one of ASEAN\u2019s strongest political dialogue partners and steadfast supporter of ASEAN centrality and community-building,\u201d he further said.<\/p>\n

He likewise thanked Abe for his Vision Statement, which he said \u201crespects the ASEAN\u2019s role in the regional architecture while espousing Japan\u2019s proactive contribution to peace as a fundamental security principle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this light, we can expect a good executive report on the progress of the vision statement to ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation, which we adopted in 2013,\u201d he ended.\u00a0PND<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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