18 November 2015 – Secretary Albert F. del Rosario met Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan on November 16 on the sidelines of the APEC Ministerial Meeting in Manila.
Secretary Del Rosario and Foreign Minister Kishida discussed the significant progress made in strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and Japan since the successful State Visit of President Benigno S. Aquino III to Japan in June 2015.
Aside from discussions on bilateral cooperation, they also took up different regional and international issues of mutual concern, including maritime security, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, climate change, and United Nations Security Council Reform, among other issues.
They also cited that next year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-Japan diplomatic relations and the ongoing preparations for the State Visit of Their Majesties, the Emperor and Empress of Japan, to the Philippines in early 2016. END