The Philippines and Japan will sign seven bilateral agreements covering various areas of cooperation during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s official working visit to Tokyo, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced Wednesday.
From 8 to 12 February, the President will be in Japan to hold a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, an audience with Emperor Naruhito, and several meetings with Japan-based businessmen and investors.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs considers the President’s visit to Japan as consequential,” DFA Assistant Secretary Neal Imperial said in a Palace briefing.
“Japan is the first country with which the Philippines has forged a strategic partnership and is only one of two strategic partners of the Philippines, the other one being Vietnam.”
The DFA official noted that Japan is the only country with which the Philippines has a bilateral free trade agreement called the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement or JPEPA.