Prime Minister’s Office, Tokyo, Japan
December 17, 2023
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have witnessed the exchange of signed agreements during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in Tokyo, Japan.
The signed agreements include the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Japan Coast Guard and the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan and the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the field of environmental protection.
Prime Minister Kishida conveyed that Japan would steadily carry out the provision of coastal radar system through Official Security Assistance (OSA) and expressed commitment to further strengthen cooperation in maritime safety capacity building based on the Memorandum of Cooperation between the coast guards of the two nations.
The two leaders agreed to continue coordination to reach an early conclusion of the negotiations for the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) and to enhance cooperation between the two coast guards.
In his brief remarks, Prime Minister Kishida expressed his condolences for the casualties of the earthquake and explosion in Mindanao. He also reiterated Japan’s unwavering commitment to strengthening cooperation for a free and open international order based on the rule of law, with an emphasis on protecting human dignity.
“With the world at a turning point in history, Japan attaches great importance to its strengthening and maintaining a free and important strengthening cooperation with Singapore and ASEAN to maintain a free and open international order based on the rule of law, and to ensure a world where human dignity is protected. I feel that the Commemorative Summit has served as an opportunity to further strengthen the relationship between Japan and ASEAN for generations to come, and I hope that this will go on going forward, and for passing on the trust that has developed with us thus far,” said Prime Minister Kishida.
In response, President Marcos Jr. expressed his deepest appreciation for Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to the Philippines. He emphasized that the Prime Minister’s address to the Joint Congress provided the direction and ways forward in support for the deepening Japan-Philippines diplomatic relations, particularly concerning security assistance.
Furthermore, he mentioned that the RAA would boost military cooperation between the two nations. “This give us a greater capability in terms of not only security but also in terms of disaster preparedness and alleviation and adjustment. And that is something that I believe is very, very significant and that it will bring to us a greater capacity to maintain the peace in China Sea,” the President added.
Japan is one of the Philippines’ top three strategic partners, with 264 bilateral agreements covering defense, technology, and infrastructure development.
In 2022, Japan became the country’s second largest trading partner with a total trade of US$23.49 billion, up by 10.9% from 2021.
Additionally, Japan is the largest source of Official Development Assistance (ODA), providing 40.49% of the country’s total portfolio, and the second largest source of grant assistance, accounting for 28.93% of the total grants’ portfolio.
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