PH-Japan meeting on defense, security set in July | INQToday

Filipino and Japanese officials are set to convene in a Foreign and Defense ministerial meeting, otherwise known as 2 + 2, on July 8, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. In a statement, the DFA says Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamikawa Yoko and minister of Defence Kihara Minoru will visit Manila to meet with Defense Secretary Gilberto Theodoro and foreign Affairs secretary Enrique Manalo. The DFA adds that the foreign ministers are expected to discuss bilateral defense and security issues. Affecting the region and exchange views on regional and international issues. According to the DFA, the Foreign and Defense Ministers meeting is the highest consultative mechanism between the Philippines and Japan to date. It adds that the meeting serves as a platform to further strengthen the decade old strategic partnership between the Philippines and Japan. The meeting will be held in light of China's continued aggression in Philippine waters.