Tokyo: The Japanese government reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening ties with the Philippines as it praised the two states' rapidly growing partnership, which it said has evolved into 'near-alliance status.' Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo held a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday and affirmed the two states' commitment to further strengthen ties, including the foundation for increased security and defense cooperation.
According to Philippines News Agency, Minister Iwaya stated that through the Japan-Philippines Summit Meeting in April this year, Japan has been able to further strengthen its relations with the Philippines, a 'neighbor' connected by the sea. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted in a readout on Thursday that the partnership has 'evolved into a near-alliance status,' and that Tokyo would like to work with Manila to realize a 'free and open Indo-Pacific.'
Iwaya and Manalo held in-depth discussions on security and defense and commended the start of negotiations on the Japan-Philippines Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) and the start of discussions on a possible security information deal. Iwaya said Japan intends to further boost cooperation through the Official Security Assistance (OSA) for capacity building in the Philippines.
The two also talked about the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea, Myanmar, the Middle East, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, North Korea, including nuclear and missile issues and the abduction issue. They likewise discussed the US tariff measures and their impact on the global economy and the multilateral trading system.
In this context, the two foreign ministers reaffirmed the importance of coordinating with the United States and other allied and like-minded countries in addressing these challenges and agreed to continue to deepen Japan-Philippines and Japan-Philippines-US cooperation, with the continued involvement of the United States, toward the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law, the ministry said.
Beyond security, Japan noted that it wants to support infrastructure development in the country as 'equal partners' through public-private partnerships. Iwaya and Manalo also emphasized the need for a stable investment environment for the development of mineral resource projects, such as nickel, in the Philippines.
