PGMA's Opening Statement during the Joint Press Conference with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan

Reception Hall, Malacanang (09 Jan 2002)
PRIME MINISTER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI HAS HONORED US WITH THIS VISIT, THE FIRST BY A JAPANESE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT IN THIS CENTURY, HIS EXCELLENCY HAS MADE THE PHILIPPINES HIS FIRST STOP IN HIS TOUR OF THE CAPITALS OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF ASEAN.

PRIME MINISTER KOIZUMI AND I HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL MEETING TODAY, FOCUSING MAINLY ON JAPAN'S NEW FOREIGN POLICY INITIATIVES VIS-A-VIS EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES AND BILATERAL ISSUES. OUR DISCUSSIONS CONFIRMED THAT OUR COOPERATION INDEED GOES BEYOND THE CONFINES OF OUR BILATERAL FRAMEWORK IN RESPONSE TO FAST CHANGING EVENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS INCREASING GLOBALIZATION.

I WELCOMED PRIME MINISTER KOIZUMI'S NEW FOREIGN POLICY VISION FOR EAST ASIA, OF ÒACTING TOGETHER AND ADVANCING TOGETHER A SINCERE AND OPEN PARTNERS.Ó THIS NEW FOREIGN POLICY VISION WILL BE SUPPORTED BY THREE MAIN PILLARS OF COOPERATION THAT IS: COOPERATION FOR PROSPERITY THROUGH REFORMS; COOPERATION FOR STABILITY THROUGH INTEGRATED EFFORTS; AND COOPERATION FOR THE FUTURE. WE AGREED ON THE NEED FOR ASEAN MEMBERS COUNTRIES AND JAPAN TO FORGE CLOSER LINKS IN ADDRESSING ISSUES AND PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE COUNTRIES IN THE REGION.

IN LINE WITH COOPERATION FOR PROSPERITY, I EXPRESSED MY SUPPORT FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S EFFORTS TO RESTRUCTURE AND REFORM THE JAPANESE ECONOMY, EMPHASIZING THAT A REINVIGORATED JAPANESE ECONOMY WOULD HAVE A BENEFICIAL IMPACT ON THE ECONOMIES IN EAST ASIA, INCLUDING THE PHILIPPINES.

I ALSO CONGRATULATED HIM ON HIS ABLE LEADERSHIP IN STEERING JAPAN'S ACTIVE DIPLOMACY IN RECENT MONTHS. I WELCOMED JAPAN'S FORTHRIGHT STANCE TO SUPPORT THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION AGAINST TERRORISM, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT HAS MODIFIED SOME OF ITS NATIONAL&127; LAWS TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE OPERATIONAL SUPPORT TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND TO OTHER INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO COMBAT TERRORISM.

I INFORMED THE PRIME MINISTER ABOUT OUR OWN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTI-TERRORISM EFFORTS INCLUDING THE HOSTING OF A MEETING ON THE ÒPROPOSED AGREEMENT OF INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNICATION PROCEDURESÓ AMONG INDONESIA, MALAYSIA AND THE PHILIPPINES LAST DECEMBER 26-28.

WITH REGARD TO COOPERATION FOR STABILITY, WE SHARED THE VIEW THAT THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM IS INTERLINKED WITH THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY, NOTING THAT THE SITUATION REMAINS TRUE FOR MOSLEM RURAL AREAS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, I SOUGHT JAPAN'S ASSISTANCE TO HELP THE MOSLEM RURAL AREAS IN MINDANAO, TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PACKAGE FOR THEM.

WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE VALUE OF COOPERATION ON TRANSNATIONAL CONCERNS INCLUDING EFFORTS TO COMBAT PIRACY, DETER ROBBERY ON THE HIGH SEAS, AND MAINTAIN OVERALL MARITIME SAFETY AND STABILITY IN THE REGION. I

EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT JAPAN WILL CONTINUE TO BE ENGAGED IN DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.

I WELCOMED JAPAN'S PIVOTAL ROLE IN ACCELERATING THE ASEAN+3 PROCESS. I AGREED WITH THE NEED TO MOVE TOWARDS GREATER COMPLEMENTATION AMONG THE ASEAN +3 COUNTRIES IN THE ECONOMIC, SECURITY, AND POLITICAL AREAS TO CREATE A COMMON EAST ASIA VISION FOR THE FUTURE. THE PHILIPPINES BELIEVES THAT JAPAN HAS A BIG RESPONSIBILITY IN ACCELERATING THE ASEAN+3 PROCESS TO HASTEN INTEGRATION OF THE ASEAN ECONOMIES WITH THAT OF CHINA AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA. I ALSO WELCOMED THE PROPOSAL FOR AN ÒASEAN-JAPAN COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE.Ó

JUST NOW, THE PRIME MINISTER AND I WITNESSED THE SIGNING OF A DOCUMENT, THE ÒPHILIPPINES-JAPAN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM,Ó THAT OUTLINES A TECHNICAL COOPERATION FRAMEWORK TO JOINTLY ASSIST THIRD COUNTRIES BY PROMOTING HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT STARTING WITH EAST TIMOR.

ON BILATERAL COOPERATION, I CONVEYED OUR THANKS FOR JAPAN'S CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT THROUGH ODA, PARTICULARLY TO JAPAN.

I ASSURED THE PRIME MINISTER THAT THE PHILIPPINES IS EXERTING ITS UTMOST TO IMPROVE THE PEACE AND ORDER SITUATION IN THE PHILIPPINES IN ORDER TO ATTRACT MORE INVESTMENTS AND TOURISTS FROM JAPAN.

THE PHILIPPINES WELCOMES JAPAN'S INITIATIVE ON COOPERATION FOR THE FUTURE, INCLUDING THE PROPOSAL TO DECLARE 2003 AS THE ÒYEAR OF ASEAN-JAPAN EXCHANGEÓ TO FOSTER MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AMONG THE PEOPLES IN THE REGION; THE ÒASEAN-JAPAN HRD INITIATIVEÓ THAT WOULD FACILITATE ACADEMIC EXCHANGES.

WITH THE BIG NUMBER OF FILIPINOS IN JAPAN, I THANKED THE PRIME MINISTER FOR PLAYING HOST TO MORE THAN 200,000 FILIPINO OVERSEAS WORKERS IN JAPAN, INCLUDING STUDENTS AND THOSE WORKING AS SEAMEN ON BOARD JAPANESE VESSELS.

I ALSO DISCUSSED THE POTENTIALS OF COOPERATION IN PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES, ADDRESSING THE AGEING SOCIETY IN JAPAN, AND OTHER KINDS OF ASSISTANCE.

THE PHILIPPINES WELCOMES JAPAN'S PROPOSAL TO MAKE THE COUNTRY AS THE FOCAL POINT FOR TB PREVENTION.

I THANKED PRIME MINISTER KOIZUMI FOR INVITING ME TO MAKE ANOTHER VISIT TO JAPAN THIS YEAR. OUR MEETING TODAY WAS OUR SECOND SUMMIT, FOLLOWING OUR EXCHANGES OF VIEWS DURING MY FIRST VISIT TO JAPAN AS PRESIDENT IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR. OUR DISCUSSIONS REAFFIRMED OUR RESOLVE TO COOPERATE NOT ONLY AS CLOSE PARTNERS IN THE REGION BUT ALSO TO BORROW THE WORDS OF PRIME MINISTER KOIZUMI, TO WORK TOGETHER AS ÒMATURE PARTNERS,Ó IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM.

THANK YOU.

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