Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
President Marcos, United States President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio are scheduled to hold their first trilateral leaders’ summit at the White House in April.
(From left) US President Joe Biden, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., and Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio (Noel Pabalate/AFP/MANILA BULLETIN)
A statement from US Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the three officials will meet on April 11 in Washington, D.C. for the first US-Japan-Philippines’ leaders’ summit to discuss issues of mutual interest, particularly maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
“At the summit, the leaders will advance a trilateral partnership built on deep historical ties of friendship, robust and growing economic relations, a proud and resolute commitment to shared democratic values, and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Pierre said.
“The leaders will also reaffirm the ironclad alliances between the United States and the Philippines, and the United States and Japan,” she added.
The US press secretary also stated that the three leaders are set to discuss trilateral cooperation on a range of issues, including the promotion of inclusive growth and emerging technologies, advancing clean energy supply chains and climate cooperation, and furthering peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.
Biden will also host Marcos for a meeting at the White House “to review the historic momentum in US-Philippines relations.”
They will discuss efforts to enhance cooperation on economic security, clean energy, people-to-people ties, and human rights and democracy.
“The President will reaffirm the ironclad alliance between the United States and the Philippines and emphasize US commitment to upholding international law and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the statement said.
During his state visit to Germany, Marcos expressed hope to strengthen the cooperation between the Philippines, the United States, and Japan amid China’s provocations in the contested South China Sea.
He shared that the meeting with Biden and Kishida would formalize the cooperation between the three countries.
April’s meeting will be the first time the three leaders will meet with each other at the same time. Marcos met with Kishida and Biden separately on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City last September 2022.
Both Japan and the Philippines are US treaty-allies, with the Philippines also enjoying deep ties with Japan.
Marcos will participate in the April meeting after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Manila on March 18 and 19. — Raymund Antonio
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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph
