THE Philippines and Japan have been promoting bilateral cooperation in the maritime field for several decades, through exchange of views and dialogues. For the second time, the two countries held bilateral talks on maritime cooperation in Manila on February 22, 2013. The First Dialogue on Maritime Cooperation was held in Tokyo, Japan, on September 9, 2011.
The holding of the Second Philippines-Japan Dialogue on Maritime and Oceanic Affairs followed Japan’s approval of a request by the Philippines for 10 multi-role response vessels under Japan’s soft-loan program. The vessels will be turned over to the country in 18 months.
The two countries discussed various areas of cooperation particularly in maritime safety, maritime security, fisheries and marine scientific research. They exchanged views on programs and actions to promote cooperation in freedom of navigation and safety at sea, and shared best practices on the maritime law enforcement capabilities of countries. The Philippines welcomed Japan’s continued support in the capacity-building program of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Japan is providing communication systems that will be installed in PCG vessels to help improve its capacity in policing the country’s territorial waters.
The Philippine delegation was composed of officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of National Defense, Philippine Coast Guard, Maritime Industry Authority, National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The Japanese delegation was composed of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Secretariat of the Headquarters for Ocean Policy of the Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of Defense, and the Coast Guard.
We congratulate Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Gilberto G. B. Asuque, who headed the Philippine Delegation, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Director-General for Southwest and Southeast Asian Affairs Kenji Kanasugi, who led the Japanese Delegation, on their successful holding of the Second Philippines-Japan Dialogue on Maritime and Oceanic Affairs, in Manila, Republic of the Philippines. CONGRATULATIONS AND MABUHAY!