Philippines and Japan Vice Foreign Ministers Meet to Sustain Momentum of the Strategic Partnership and Productive Bilateral Cooperation
(Photo credits to DFA-OPD Camille Barizo)
MANILA 02 October 2025 — The Philippines-Japan Vice Ministerial Strategic Dialogue (VMSD), held in Manila today, was co-chaired by Undersecretary for Policy Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of the Philippines and Senior Deputy Minister NAMAZU Hiroyuki of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
“This meeting is built upon the foundation of recent high-level exchanges between the Philippines and Japan under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, to sustain the momentum of our two countries’ Strengthened Strategic Partnership,” Undersecretary De La Vega remarked.
Undersecretary De La Vega and Senior Deputy Minister Namazu reviewed the progress of the partnership in the fields of security and defense, maritime cooperation, and economic security. They also discussed ongoing and future initiatives to further enhance the bilateral relationship.
“I am positive that there will be many new milestones with Japan, as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the normalization of our bilateral relations next year,” Undersecretary De La Vega stated.
Both sides likewise acknowledged the productive outcome of the Philippines-Japan High-Level Joint Committee Meeting on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation on 11 September 2025 in Japan, which served to solidify the two countries’ economic partnership. In that regard, the important role of the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA) was highlighted.
The exchange of views continued on regional and international developments, including the need to preserve peace and stability and to promote a rules-based order governed by international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award. They reaffirmed the complimentary role of Philippines-Japan-United States Trilateral Cooperation not only in attaining the said shared goals, but also in synergizing efforts towards economic growth and resilience. Finally, both parties reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN Centrality, with Japan voicing strong support for the ASEAN Chairship of the Philippines in 2026.
“We continue to collaborate in shaping our strategic partnership into a pillar of peace, stability, and sustainable and inclusive growth in the region,” the Undersecretary concluded. END
(Photo credits to DFA-OPD Camille Barizo)
(Photo credits to DFA-OPD Camille Barizo)
