Marcos and Takaichi Hold Bilateral Summit in Tokyo
Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Thursday for a bilateral summit, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic relations.
Footage showed Prime Minister Takaichi greeting President Marcos ahead of the summit, with the two leaders posing for an official photograph before holding talks with their delegations.
Leaders Highlight Strong Strategic Partnership
“It is my pleasure to see you here in Tokyo, after our brief meeting in Kuala Lumpur last October on the sidelines of the Asian Summit, our phone call in March, and our video conference in April to discuss the pressing issues of the time, such as the oil crisis,” Marcos said.
“The substantive discussions with the Prime Minister have demonstrated the vigour with which the Philippines-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership will proceed, built on a foundation of friendship and shared values for peace, diplomacy, and adherence to international law,” he continued.
Takaichi described Japan and the Philippines as moving towards a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’.
“The Philippines, with which we have made significant progress in numerous areas of cooperation, including security and economics, is one of our closest allies. I am very pleased that we can now upgrade our bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership,” Takaichi added.
Defence and Economic Cooperation Expand
Both leaders agreed to accelerate discussions on the potential transfer of maritime assets such as Abukuma-class destroyers, and to advance talks on the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), aimed at improving intelligence sharing between Indo-Pacific partners.
On economic ties, the two sides agreed to review their existing energy security partnership agreement amid global supply pressures.
Marcos Marks First Formal State Visit to Japan
President Marcos is undertaking a four-day state visit to Japan, timed to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic normalisation between Manila and Tokyo. While he previously travelled to Tokyo and Osaka for official and working visits in 2023 and 2025, this marks his first formal state visit to the country.
Article by Viory
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