Philippines, Japan agree to boost economic, security cooperation

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. shake hands ahead of their talks at the Japanese premier's office in Tokyo on Feb. 9, 2023. (Photo: Kyodo)

Tokyo (VNA) – President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to strengthen economic and security cooperation between the two countries.  

Marcos is on a five-day official visit to Japan.

At their talks in Tokyo on February 9, Kishida pledged to provide a support package worth 600 billion JPY (4.6 billion USD) for the Philippines in 2023 and from Japan's public and private sectors.

According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Japan will offer around 377 billion JPY in official development assistance (ODA) for commuter railway projects that connect Manila with its neighbouring cities of the Philippines, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.

Other economic cooperation programmes range from agriculture and telecommunications to energy security, the ministry added.

Kishida and Marcos also welcomed their agreement on guidelines to smooth humanitarian support and disaster relief operations by Japan's Self-Defence Forces in the Southeast Asian nation./.