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‘PBBM’, Kishida see deeper Japan, PH ties

May 20, 2022 Cristina Lee-Pisco 402 views

JAPANESE Prime Minister Fumio Kishida requested an in person meeting with presumptive President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to discuss issues of mutual concern.

Kishida held a telephone talk with Marcos for about 15 minutes where the Prime Minister expressed his wish to take the bilateral Strategic Partnership to yet another height with the presumptive President, with whom Kishida shares the birth year in the following year of the normalization of the Japan-Philippines diplomatic relations.

Marcos, Jr. expressed hope to promote better and stronger bilateral cooperation between the Philippines and Japan and raise to a higher level all aspects of relationship between the two countries.

“I thank Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for his warm congratulatory message via a phone call this morning. We were able to have a preliminary discussion about Japan-Philippines partnership, which I said is very important and has been one of mutual benefit to our two countries,” Marcos said.

Kishida also communicated again the message of congratulations to Marcos on his victory in the presidential election.

Kishida expressed his resolve to continue cooperation on the economic front such as infrastructure development including railways and Subic Bay development, as well as in the security and coast guard law enforcement fields, through the High Level Joint Committee on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation and the Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting (“2+2”), among others.

Marcos stated that the relations with Japan are of utmost importance to the Philippines, and communicated his intention to deepen cooperation with Prime Minister Kishida in a wide range of areas.

The two leaders concurred on coordinating bilaterally toward further strengthening the Japan–Philippines relations.

They also exchanged views on regional affairs.

Kishida expressed his wish for future close coordination with Marcos for the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” and hold “an in-person meeting as early as possible and deepening the discussion going forward.”

The two leaders concurred on future cooperation to realize regional peace and stability. By CRISTINA LEE-PISCO

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