Marcos, Kishida to hold bilateral talks

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will have a bilateral meeting later this week to strengthen ties between the Philippines and Japan.

In a press release issued by the Presidential Communications Office on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Kishida would have his official visit to the Philippines on November 3 to 4, noting that Marcos will welcome him during a ceremony at the Malacañang Palace on Friday.

“The two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting to discuss areas of mutual concern such as political, security, economic and development cooperation, as well as people-to-people ties,” the DFA said.

Marcos and Kishida are also expected to exchange views on regional and international issues as well as to reaffirm the excellent relations between the two countries.

To recall, Marcos visited Japan early this year, sealing $13 billion worth of investment agreements that were seen to generate thousands of jobs for Filipinos.

Earlier, Marcos and Kishida agreed to bolster Manila and Tokyo’s defense and security relations.

The two Asian leaders agreed to have further bilateral discussions on addressing regional and international situations, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. —VAL, GMA Integrated News