Former Japanese Prime Minister and now Supreme Adviser to the Parliamentary Association of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), Fumio Kishida, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation on energy security and accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Minister Kishida, who is in the Philippines from 30 April to 2 May as Special Envoy of the Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, will participate in a series of high-level engagements focused on advancing AZEC initiatives and strengthening Philippines-Japan bilateral relations.

Importance of sustained cooperation

At the said meeting in Malacañang Palace on Thursday afternoon, President Marcos underscored the importance of sustained cooperation with Japan amid global energy uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

“It has become especially pressing and critical with all of the events that are transpiring in the Middle East and the effects that it has had on the entire energy system of the world,” the President said.

Marcos said disruptions in global energy supply highlight the urgency of accelerating the country’s shift toward cleaner and more resilient energy systems.

“We hope that we can continue our work in moving our countries away from fossil fuels and absorb more of the renewable technology that we have been trying to shift to,” President Marcos said.

The President also expressed gratitude for Japan’s continued support, particularly its commitment to honor and maintain existing supply contracts for various fuels.

Optimism on easing of MidEast tensions

President Marcos then conveyed optimism that tensions in the Middle East would ease soon, citing the Philippines’ vulnerability given the presence of around 2.5 million overseas Filipino workers in the said region

For his part, Kishida reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to advancing the initiative of AZEC, which he proposed in 2022 to promote regional decarbonization and energy cooperation across Southeast Asia and the broader Asian region.

“We would like to promote cooperation with the Philippines on economic and energy resilience,” Kishida said.

He also conveyed the intention of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to work closely with President Marcos, particularly on the Philippines’ hosting of the 4th AZEC Leaders’ Meeting in November.

Kishida turned over a letter from Prime Minister Takaichi to President Marcos during the courtesy call.

$10-B POWERR Asia

Kishida’s visit follows the announcement of Japan’s $10 billion energy cooperation framework, Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience (POWERR Asia), during the recent AZEC Plus Online Summit.

The initiative seeks to help countries manage energy disruptions by supporting fuel procurement, strengthening supply chains, and expanding energy security cooperation in Asia.