FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo yesterday said several agreements will be signed during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishida from April 29 to 30.
He will meet with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and other Filipino officials.
“I cannot say right now how many but we will have a couple of agreements and the discussions will be on a broad range of political, economic, and cultural issues,” Manalo told reporters at the sidelines of the Maritime Security Forum in Manila.
Manalo said the visit is very significant because Tokyo is a “strategic partner” of Manila.
“We have very close relations with Japan in so many areas so it is a symbol of the strength and growing cooperation between our two countries,” the DFA chief added.
Over the last 20 years, Tokyo has been Manila’s top source of Official Development Assistance (ODA), accounting for $14.139 billion worth of loans, or around 72 percent of the total foreign aid portfolio.
Since 1995, 898 Japanese enterprises have poured in P739 billion in investments in the country’s economic zones.
Tokyo and Manila also have growing defense and security ties, with Japan providing the Philippine military with five TC90 fixed-wing aircraft, secure communication systems, air defense radars and coastal radars.
Japan also provided the Philippine Coast Guard with 10 44-meter multi-role response vessels as well as two 97-meter offshore patrol vessels dubbed the Teresa Magbanua class and is poised to supply five more similar vessels.
The Teresa Magbanua class is the Coast Guard’s largest and most modern offshore patrol vessel.
