President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is looking forward to expanding the Philippines’ cooperation with Japan in key areas after talks with Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday.

“Our meeting today builds upon the momentum of the recent past and we look forward to expanding cooperation with you, especially in key areas, economic development, development cooperation, and security cooperation,” President Marcos said.

President Marcos made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Kishida at the Malacañan Palace.

The President said he is pleased that the trilateral engagements at various fronts among the Philippines, Japan, and the United States have commenced this year.

The chief executive added that he is looking forward to continuing this form of engagement and expanding it, to cover other equally important areas.

“Our decades of cooperation have developed into a robust and strategic partnership built on trust, mutual respect, and common values,” he said.

Last July marked the 67th anniversary of the normalization of the Philippines’ diplomatic relations with Japan.

President Marcos said he is pleased that officials from other branches of government are committed in keeping the relations vibrant, mentioning the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan and Japan-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship League (JPPFL), following his official visit to Tokyo last February.

He also highlighted the Official Parliamentary Visit of the Philippine Senate to Japan last April.

“Excellency, it is a pleasure to welcome you to Manila, to the Philippines,” President Marcos said to Prime Minister Kishida.

“Thank you for accepting our invitation to visit our country. I wish you and your delegation a comfortable stay despite the fact the fact that it is a very, very quick visit. But I hope we will be able to achieve great many things,” he added.

Prime Minister Kishida is in the Philippines for a two-day official visit. PND