FOREIGN AFFAIRS Secretary Enrique Manalo is set to discuss with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa the next steps to implement understandings and agreements reached between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in February.
In a news release issued Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Manalo is in Tokyo, Japan to participate in the Munich Leaders Meeting (MLM) from May 14 to 16.
During Marcos' bilateral visit, he and Kishida witnessed the signing and exchange of key agreements in the areas of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief infrastructure, agriculture, and digital cooperation and communications technology, which are included in Marcos' priority agenda.
In the meeting, Manalo will also deliver a policy address to touch upon Philippines-Japan Strategic Partnership and the rules-based order at Japan’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
“The relationship between the Philippines and Japan is a remarkable journey of friendship, cooperation, and mutual respect. From the ashes of war, we have forged a comprehensive and largely outcomes-based Strategic Partnership that is anchored on shared values,” he said.
Japan is the first country with which the Philippines has forged a Strategic Partnership and is among the two strategic partners of the Philippines aside from Vietnam.
It is also the only country with which the Philippines has a bilateral free trade agreement, the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement.
“As the world undergoes profound transformations, driven by new technologies, power dynamics, and societal changes, the Philippines and Japan must continue to work together to ensure that the principles enshrined in the UN [United Nations] Charter and the rules-based order that has been the bedrock of international peace and stability these past decades are upheld and strengthened,” he added.
The MLM aims to connect European and American leaders with their counterparts in the Indo-Pacific region to discuss ideas on how to contribute to regional and global stability.
The meet happens days ahead of the 49th G7 Summit to be held in Hiroshima, Japan on May 19 to 21.
Manalo, policymakers, and experts are expected to share insights on the Indo-Pacific security architecture, nuclear security, and new partnership opportunities arising from the shifting geopolitical landscape in the region.
Manalo will also meet with Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid in line with the country's 50th year of bilateral relations with Maldives.
Shahid served as the president of the 76th United Nations General Assembly when Manalo was the Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN in New York.
Shahid and Manalo will discuss ways to enhance bilateral relations and further cooperation between the Philippines and Maldives in regional and global fora, including on climate change. (Ma. Teresa Montemayor)
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