Secretary Manalo to Promote Rules-Based Order, Stronger PH-Japan Ties in Tokyo Visit
TOKYO, 15 May 2023 - Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo is in Tokyo, Japan, to participate in the Munich Leaders Meeting (MLM) and engage in policy discussions from 14 to 16 May 2023.
According to the Munich Security Conference, which is the host and organizer of the MLM, the Munich Security Meeting in Tokyo “aims to connect European and American leaders with their counterparts in the Indo-Pacific region to discuss ideas on how to contribute to regional and global stability.” The MLM takes place in the days leading up to the 49th G7 Summit to be held on 19-21 May 2023 in Hiroshima, Japan.
During the visit, Secretary Manalo will join policymakers and experts in sharing insights on a range of issues, including the Indo-Pacific security architecture, nuclear security, and new partnership opportunities arising from the shifting geopolitical landscape in the region and beyond.
Secretary Manalo will also meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa to exchange views on recent developments and identify next steps to implement understandings and agreements reached between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio last February.
The Secretary is also scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid of Maldives, who served as the President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly when Secretary Manalo was the Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN in New York. The ministers will discuss ways to enhance bilateral relations, which will mark its 50th year in 2024, and to further cooperation between the Philippines and Maldives in regional and global fora, including on climate change.
On the invitation of Japan’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Secretary Manalo will also deliver a policy address to touch upon Philippines-Japan Strategic Partnership and the rules-based order.
“The relationship between the Philippines and Japan is a remarkable journey of friendship, cooperation, and mutual respect. From the ashes of war, we have forged a comprehensive and largely outcomes-based Strategic Partnership that is anchored on shared values. As the world undergoes profound transformations, driven by new technologies, power dynamics, and societal changes, the Philippines and Japan must continue to work together to ensure that the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and the rules-based order that has been the bedrock of international peace and stability these past decades, are upheld and strengthened,” Secretary Manalo stated. END