Press Releases
Japan-Philippines Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Working Lunch
May 28, 2025
On May 28, from 1:00 p.m. for approximately 100 minutes, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya held a Japan-Philippines Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Working Lunch with Hon. Enrique A. Manalo, Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines, who was visiting Japan. The following is a summary of the meeting.
1. Opening Remarks
- Minister Iwaya stated that through the Japan-Philippines Summit Meeting in April this year, Japan has been able to further strengthen its relations with the Philippines, a “neighbor” connected by the sea, and commended the close bilateral relations that allow for this Foreign Ministers' Meeting to be held shortly after the Summit Meeting. He also stated that our partnership has evolved into a near-alliance status, and we would like to work together to realize a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”
- Foreign Minister Manalo expressed his pleasure at meeting again since Minister Iwaya's visit to the Philippines in January. He then stated that although the international situation has been turbulent since then, he highly appreciates the further progress in cooperation between the two countries through Prime Minister Ishiba's visit to the Philippines in April. Looking ahead to the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines next year, he expressed his desire to use this meeting as an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation as partners who share common values and interests.
2. Bilateral relations
- Regarding security, the two foreign ministers held in-depth discussions on further strengthening the foundation for security and defense cooperation, based on last month's Summit Meeting. The two foreign ministers commended the start of negotiation on the Japan-Philippines Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), as well as the start of discussions on the possibility of concluding a future Agreement on the Security of Information following last month's Summit Meeting. They also welcomed the steady progress toward the entry into force of the Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA). Furthermore, Minister Iwaya expressed his desire to further promote cooperation through the Official Security Assistance (OSA) for capacity building in the Philippines, and Foreign Secretary Manalo expressed his gratitude for Japan's cooperation. In addition, the two foreign ministers agreed to hold Maritime Consultations and Vice-Ministerial Strategic Dialogue within this year to share strategic perceptions and further advance cooperation in the field of security, including the maritime domain.
- Regarding the economic field, Minister Iwaya stated that Japan would like to further promote infrastructure development in the Philippines as equal partners through public-private partnerships. Foreign Secretary Manalo expressed his gratitude for Japan's considerable support in the infrastructure field until today and his expectations for future cooperation. The two foreign ministers agreed to proceed with preparations for the next Japan-Philippines High Level Joint Committee on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation to be held in Japan within this year. The two foreign ministers also agreed on the need for a stable investment environment for the development of mineral resource projects, such as nickel, in the Philippines.
- Minister Iwaya stated that Japan would continue to work toward the acquisition of Japanese nationality for 2nd Generation Nikkei-Jin in the Philippines and would like to cooperate in this regard. Foreign Secretary Manalo responded that he recognized the importance of this issue and would like to continue cooperation in the future.
- Minister Iwaya stated that, in light of the recent security situation in the Philippines, the safety of Japanese nationals residing in the Philippines is essential for promoting investment, and that he strongly hopes for improvements in the security situation in the Philippines. In response, Foreign Minister Manalo explained that the matter is being handled at the highest level and that the Philippine government will make every effort to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals, whether they visit for business or tourism.
- In addition, the two foreign ministers confirmed the cooperation for the Philippine National Day of the Osaka-Kansai Expo next week.
3. Regional and International Situation
- The two foreign ministers discussed a wide range of issues, including the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea, Myanmar, the Middle East, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, North Korea, including nuclear and missile issues and the abduction issue, the U.S. tariff measures and its impact on the global economy and the multilateral trading system, and cooperation through the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC). Foreign Minister Manalo reiterated his understanding and support regarding the abduction issue.
- In this context, the two foreign ministers reaffirmed the importance of coordinating with the United States and other allied and like-minded countries in addressing these challenges and agreed to continue to deepen Japan-Philippines and Japan-Philippines-U.S. cooperation, with the continued involvement of the United States, toward the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law.