Japanese PM in Manila for talks with Arroyo

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in the Philippines Friday evening for a short visit to the country after Manila canceled the 12th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders scheduled to open Sunday in Cebu City. Abe will return to Japan on Sunday after a meeting with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Vice President Noli de Castro met Abe at the airport. President Arroyo will officially welcome Abe in Malacanang on Saturday morning. Abe’s visit is supposed to coincide with the holding of the 12th Asean Summit. Japan is among Asean’s six dialogue partners. President Arroyo and the Japanese leader will meet at the Music Room of Malacanang Palace on Saturday morning. It will be followed by an expanded bilateral meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room. During Abe’s visit, the two countries are expected to sign an "exchange of notes for Japan’s Economic Cooperation and Japan-Philippines taxation treaties. In the expanded bilateral meeting, President Arroyo and Abe are expected to discuss Japan’s contribution to the Mindanao peace process, especially Japan’s participation in the International Monitoring Team, its continued cooperation in disaster preparedness and mitigation, and the resumption of yen loan development projects in the country. After the talks, the two leaders will motor to the Light Rail Transit Authority compound on Aurora Boulevard in Pasay City for the inaugural run ceremony of "third generation trains" and launching of the LRT Line 1 Capacity Expansion Project II, which is expected to increase the capacity of LRT Line 1 from 27,000 passengers per hour per direction to 40,000. - GMANews.TV