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Japan-Philippines Summit Meeting

On October 26, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a Japan-Philippines Summit Meeting with H.E. Mr. Rodrigo R. Duterte, President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Prime Minister Abe commented that Japan is very focused on the Philippines, that Japan has pushed forward the development of the Philippines for many years up to now through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and so on, and that Japan will continue to provide the utmost support regarding matters upon which President Duterte is particularly focused, such as maritime security, measures against terrorism, Mindanao Peace, and nation-building based on long-term development plans.

President Duterte stated that he has served as the mayor of Davao for 22 years and during that time JICA completed various projects such as an airport, and he then expressed his appreciation for Japan’s support.

Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan has consistently supported the strengthening of the ASEAN community as an equal strategic partner, that Japan strongly supports the centrality and integrity of ASEAN, that the Philippines is scheduled to serve as the ASEAN presidency holder next year, that Japan is sincerely hoping for the Philippines’ success, and that Japan intends to give the utmost support to the Philippines.

Japan-Jordan Summit Meeting

On October 27, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a Japan-Jordan Summit Meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Regarding bilateral relations, Prime Minister Abe expressed his hope that with the signing of the memorandum on defense cooperation and exchanges there would be further advances in bilateral cooperation in the defense-related field. He also referred to the implementation of a total of 1 billion yen in grant aid for security-related measures, noting that Japan seeks to cooperate with Jordan in areas relating to counter-terrorism and security in the future.

King Abdullah responded that he always remains deeply appreciative of Japan’s unchanging support for and cooperation with Jordan. King Abdullah also referred to the major economic and social burdens being experienced by Jordan, including the influx of refugees, and expressed support for Japan’s various initiatives in the international community.

Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan would continue to provide strong support to Jordan, which is a cornerstone of stability in the Middle East region, having accepted vast numbers of Syrian refugees, and being engaged in full-scale efforts to counter terrorism and extremism. In this context, the Prime Minister announced that the Government of Japan would provide approximately 30 billion yen in yen loans to Jordan as a new development policy loan.