Japan foreign minister to visit PH; meet with Duterte, Locsin

MANILA, Philippines — Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu is set to embark on a two-day official visit to the Philippines and hold a bilateral meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Motegi will be visiting the Philippines from January 8 to 9.

Japan’s foreign minister will meet with Locsin on January 9 to discuss the advancement of the strategic partnership between the Philippines and Japan in terms of political dialogues, economic and infrastructure cooperation, defense and maritime security, the DFA said.

The two officials will also discuss Japan’s support for Mindanao and the transition to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as well as exchange views on developments in the regional security landscape.

Motegi is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Rodrigo Duterte, the DFA added.

This would be Motegi’s first visit to the Philippines after being appointed as foreign minister in September 2019.

The Philippines is part of the Japanese foreign minister’s four-country Southeast Asian swing that also includes stops in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

“The visit constitutes a further affirmation of the strengthened strategic partnership between the Philippines and Japan, under which both countries continue to elevate and deepen their decades-long economic cooperation, together with their engagement on strategic security issues,” the DFA said.