President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have reaffirmed their commitment to further bolster their countries’ bilateral relation in a brief comversation on sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus Three Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
It was the second personal encounter between the two leaders, The first was in September this year when they held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
On Philippine-Japan partnership, Marcos said the two countries “will be able to achieve anything, as long as they are together,” Press Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil said Kishida also looks forward to receiving Marcos state visit to Japan sometime next year.
During their meeting in New York, Marcos also presented to Kishida his administration’s priorities aimed at developing agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and cybersecurity sectors. Japan has been the Philippines’partner in various fields.
In Phnom Penh, Kishida reportedly told Marcos his plan to further expand Japan’s cooperation with ASEAN in various areas.
Japan and ASEAN will mark the 50th anniversary of their friendship and cooperation next year.