PRRD to strengthen Ph-Japan cooperation

TOKYO, Japan – President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to arrive in Tokyo today for an official visit from October 25 to 27 following his back-toback state visits to Brunei and China to discuss economic and defense cooperation and scale up strategic partnership between the Philippines and Japan.

The state visit, which will involve meetings with Emperor Akihito, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and business leaders, coincides with the 60th anniversary of establishment of Philippines-Japan diplomatic relations.

“As you are aware, the reason for the visit of the President is because Prime Minister Abe reiterated an invitation he has been extending to the President to come to Japan. And this invitation was in fact reiterated and accepted in the sidelines of the Asean Summit in Laos,” Consul General Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio said.

The lease of TC 30 military planes and the

development assistance and investments are among the items President Duterte may seek in a bid to capitalise the country's economic and defense alliance with Japan.

Ignacio said the PhilippineJapan relationship is quite multifaceted, covering the range of political, economic, and cultural interests that affect Filipinos working and living in Japan.

Japan has also received more than 400,000 Filipino tourists for the first half of the year alone.

A growing professional community of engineers and technical interns in the IT sector consist of 1,600 Filipinos.

“Japan is very keen to continue with the relationship that it has had with the Philippines for a long number of years. In the economic area, for example, Japan continues to be the top trading partner for the Philippines,” Ignacio said.

Ignacio said the country can expect several signing of letters of intent from Japanese companies during President Duterte's visit. Maro-Content (For full story visit www.sunstar. com.ph/davao/)