PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. is set to leave today for Washington to attend the first trilateral cooperation summit with United States President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on April 11.
US Chargé d’affaires Robert Ewing, at the commemoration of the Day of Valor in Bataan yesterday, said the summit is expected to advance and strengthen the partnership among the three nations “based on deep historical ties, robust economic relationship, a resolute commitment to share democratic values, and a shared vision for free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya said Japan is looking forward to the historic and first-ever Japan-Philippines-US summit, adding that the trilateral cooperation among the three countries serves as a symbol of a shared commitment to promote a free and open international order based on the rule of law.
The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said the three leaders are expected to discuss a common vision for the Indo-Pacific Region and explore opportunities for enhancing trilateral cooperation across various areas of mutual interest, including inclusive economic growth.
The meeting also aims to tackle development of critical and emerging technologies, climate change cooperation, and clean energy supply chains, and to promote peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
The DFA said topics expected to be discussed during the summit range from maritime cooperation to infrastructure development, economic resiliency, trade and investments, clean energy and the climate, as well as cybersecurity and the digital economy.
“The elevation of the Philippines-Japan-US partnership into this trilateral cooperation has the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific at the forefront, which is the basis for this trilateral process. This trilateral meeting is a natural progression of the three parties’ existing robust, excellent bilateral cooperation, their enduring friendship and alliance, shared values, shared interests and shared respect of the three parties for the rules-based international order,” DFA Acting Deputy Undersecretary Hans Mohaimin Siriban had said in a briefing over the weekend.
Siriban said three leaders are also expected to issue a joint vision statement which is intended to be a forward-looking document that does not only identify common principles that guide the trilateral partnership but also provide complete areas and projects for cooperation.
Aside from the Summit, Marcos will have a meeting with Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd James Austin III, and with business leaders before flying back to Manila on April 12.
The trip is Marcos’ seventh international travel this year and his fourth to the US since becoming president in 2022.
