Prime Minister’s Office, Tokyo, Japan
May 31, 2019
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and the rest of their respective delegations convened for the Summit Meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan.
In his opening speech, Prime Minister Abe welcomed the President in his third visit to Japan and congratulated him for the success of the recently concluded midterm elections.
He reaffirmed to President Duterte Japan’s continued support to the Philippines and said that he looks forward particularly to the development of Mindanao.
In response, President Duterte said in his opening statement that the Philippines recognizes Japan as a “valued ally in a rapidly evolving region”. He also congratulated Emperor Naruhito in his ascension and invited him to visit Malacañan Palace in the Philippines.
President Duterte also expressed his sympathies to the Japanese people after the mass-stabbing incident in Kawasaki, Japan on May 28, 2019.
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