Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday praised the “further advancement of communication at various levels” between the Philippines and Japan during his historic meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“Japan attaches great importance to cooperation with the Philippines and neighboring maritime nations and in the Pacific to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law,” said the Japanese leader during their first bilateral meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo.

“And I highly appreciate the further advancement of communication at various levels between the Japan and the Philippines on a wide-range of deals including economic and security issues,” Prime Minister Kishida added, referring to the seven bilateral deals witnessed by the two Asian leaders.

President Marcos said the exchange of high-level visits between Manila and Tokyo is “one of the main features of our relations and is a testament to the very deep level of friendship that we have enjoyed for almost seven decades now.”

The current rapid technological advances in agriculture, space, cybertechnology, health, energy, and other areas present many opportunities for cooperation, according to the Philippine leader.

President Marcos said he looks forward to celebrating “many new milestones with Japan under my administration as we continue our efforts to further strengthen our long-standing cooperation in an ever-expanding field of mutual interest.”

“[I’m] optimistic that our common resolve and forward-looking aspiration for both our countries and peoples will serve as a beacon as we craft new pathways towards peace-building and a better life for all,” the President added.

The seven agreements signed earlier cover various areas of mutual cooperation including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, infrastructure, agriculture and digital cooperation. #