| President Rodrigo Roa Duterte met Japan Minister of Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida at the Presidential Guest House in Panacan, Davao City.
The President and the Japanese foreign minister talked about the cooperative partnership between the Philippines and Japan, particularly the socio-economic support of the Japanese government for the development of Mindanao.
Mr. Kishida discussed with the President the latter’s plans and different projects for Mindanao and asked him on the new roadmap to peace his administration intends to implement.
Other issues raised during the meeting were the infrastructure loan of $2.24 billion for the railway project from Tutuban to Bulacan and the provision of more patrol vessels to enhance the Philippine Coast Guard capabilities.
President Duterte took the occasion to thank Japanese government for beefing up the maritime security capabilities of the Philippines by providing patrol vessels to the Philippine Coast Guard. The first of the ten marine patrol vessels from Japan is set to arrive this month.
Mr. Kishida, on the one hand, extended Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s invitation to President Duterte to visit Japan.
Joining the President in Davao are members of his delegation that included Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto R. Yasay, Jr., Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar and Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.
The Japanese delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, included Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa, Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Development Director-General Kazuya Nashida, Second Southeast Asia Division Director Hirotaka Matsuo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and MOFA executive assistant Masashi Nakagome. |
