Japan Defense Minister Iwaya, PBBM meet to strengthen bilateral ties
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Japan’s Minister of Defense, Iwaya, on Wednesday paid a courtesy call to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. at 3:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. Japan time) for about 35 minutes. The meeting was also attended by Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique A. Manalo.
Marcos welcomed Minister Iwaya’s visit, noting its timeliness following the Japan-U.S.-Philippines leaders' video conference. He highlighted that trilateral cooperation had produced tangible results in various areas and expressed the Philippines’ intent to further strengthen ties with Japan.
Minister Iwaya thanked President Marcos for the meeting, emphasizing the strategic partnership between the two countries based on shared values. He expressed his commitment to enhancing cooperation between Japan and the Philippines on security and international affairs, with the goal of realizing a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP) as collaboration with like-minded nations becomes increasingly important amid global divisions.
On bilateral relations, Minister Iwaya noted the rapid progress in security under Marcos' leadership, particularly welcoming the Philippine Senate’s approval of the Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) last month. He voiced his desire to promote further cooperation in areas such as security capability building, infrastructure development, climate change, flood control, and telecommunications. He also invited the Philippines to participate in Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
Marcos expressed his intent to continue deepening cooperation across various fields, building on existing achievements.
On Japan-Philippines-U.S. trilateral cooperation, Minister Iwaya acknowledged the progress made in security and economic fields, referring to the leaders' recent video conference on January 13 and a phone call between President Marcos and U.S. Vice President Harris on January 14. He expressed his desire to maintain and expand this momentum.
The Chief Executive emphasized the importance of trilateral cooperation and reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to deepening it.
