MANILA – The inaugural trilateral maritime consultations between the Philippines, Japan and the United States is scheduled to take place in December, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Wednesday.
The meeting builds on the momentum of the trilateral leaders’ summit held between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., US President Joe Biden and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in April this year.
Japan and the US are among the staunch supporters of a rules-based order in the region and have actively called out acts undermining peace in the broader Indo-Pacific, including Beijing’s aggressive behavior in the South China Sea.
The upcoming maritime dialogue was first mentioned during the bilateral meeting between Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Japan’s Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi on the sidelines of the G7 ministerial meeting in Italy on November 26.
On the bilateral level, the ministers discussed the situation on the South China Sea and affirmed the two states’ close security cooperation.
“The two Ministers also confirmed that the two countries, which shared fundamental values and principles, would work together to address regional and international challenges including the South China Sea issue and for the peaceful settlement of disputes,” the Japanese MOFA said.
Manalo’s attendance at the ministerial meeting in Italy marks the Philippines’ first participation in a G7 forum. (PNA)