Japan PM Ishiba to visit Manila

Metro Manila, Philippines - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to embark on an official visit to the Philippines from April 29 to 30, as both nations look to reinforce their strategic partnership across various areas of cooperation.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos will host Prime Minister Ishiba and his spouse, Yoshiko Ishiba, at Malacañan Palace on April 29 for a series of high-level engagements.

According to Malacañang, the two leaders will hold bilateral talks aimed at deepening economic and development cooperation, enhancing political and defense engagements, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.

They are also expected to exchange views on regional and global issues and explore new avenues for collaboration under the framework of the Philippines-Japan Strengthened Strategic Partnership.

This will be the second time President Marcos and Prime Minister Ishiba meet, following their initial meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summits in Vientiane, Laos, in October 2024.

The upcoming visit marks another milestone in the robust diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan. In recent years, both countries have maintained a steady exchange of high-level visits.

Marcos made an official trip to Japan in February 2023, which was reciprocated by then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his visit to Manila in November of the same year.

The Philippine government views Japan as a vital partner in its efforts to promote regional peace and stability, economic resilience, and infrastructure development.