Japan fosters strategic partnership with Philippines
MANILA, Philippines - A reception at the Japanese ambassador’s residence on Dec. 9 celebrated the 77th birthday of the emperor of Japan.
In this speech, Ambassador Makoto Katsura stated that Japan continued to be the second destination of the Philippines’ exports in 2009 and that the export of tropical products to Japan had increased greatly after the entry into force of JPEPA. The ambassador noted, however, that a major part of the Philippines’ exports to Japan consists of electronics and other industrial products assembled by Japanese investors here in the Philippines. Thus, they contribute to the Philippines’ exports to Japan, but also our exports to other countries. These Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) from Japan represented 58 percent of all the FDI the Philippines received from the world in 2009, and Japan became the first source of the Philippines’ imports from the entire world in 2009, since these Japanese factories import components from Japan.
The Ambassador expressed that President Aquino and Prime Minister Kan met in Hanoi in October, and reconfirmed the policy to foster a strategic partnership for the future, as both countries share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy and respect of human rights.
Katsura emphasized that Japan continues to assist as much as possible the Philippines’ nation-building efforts as the largest donor of the ODA to the Philippines, and that Japan is ready and eager to improve the implementation of JPEPA in close cooperation with the Philippine government.
On the peace-building efforts in Mindanao, Katsura welcomed the policy of the Aquino administration to continue to seek peace with the MILF through negotiation, and looked forward to the formal resumption of the peace talks in the near future. He announced that Japan had recently decided to extend the tour of duty of two Japanese members of the International Monitoring Team and that Japan continues to assist the Philippines’ peace-building efforts in Mindanao.
