Kishida says international order under ''serious threat''
By Robina Asido
The international order is under "serious threat", Japan Prime MInister Fumio Kishida said as he stressed the importance of "human dignity" in his policy speech before a special joint session of the Philippine Congress on Saturday.
"The international community is currently at a historic turning point, and the international order based on the rule of law that we have taken for granted is under serious threat," said Kishida in his message.
"The international community is also facing complex and interrelated challenges such as climate change and infectious disease. Under these circumstances, we cannot afford to have a world be divided based on ideologies and values," he added.
As he recalled the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima last May, Kishida expressed how he felt the need to return to what he called the very basic foundation or the idea of human dignity.
"There is no better place to stress the significance of human dignity than here in the Philippine Congress. The Constitution of the Philippines stipulates that the Congress shall give highest priority to protecting and enhancing the rights of all people to human dignity," he said.
"In order for everyone to live with dignity, it is essential to build a peaceful and stable world. From this standpoint, I confirmed with President (Ferdinand) Marcos (Jr.) during his visit to Japan in February that we would work together to maintain and strengthen the free and open international order based on the rule of law," he added.
Kishida noted that maintaining and strengthening ''a free and open international order based on the rule of law, multilayered cooperation among allies and like minded countries is crucial."
"In the South China Sea, trilateral cooperation to protect the freedom of the sea is underway. In addition to the participation of Japan's Self-Defense Forces in the joint US- Philippines exercises held last month, the first joint exercise by the coast guard agencies of the three countries was held in June this year. Through these efforts, let us protect the maritime order, which is governed by laws and rules, not by force," he said.
As part of its effort to help maintain free and open international order, Kishida highlighted the capability assistance provided by the government of Japan to improve the capability on maritime security of the Philippines, including the acquisition of air surveillance radars to the Philippine Air Force and the transfer of coastal surveillance radars to the Philippine Navy.
"A Japanese firm delivered a warning and control radar to the Philippine Air Force last month in order to improve Air Domain Awareness. Also yesterday, Japan agreed with the Philippines to provide coastal surveillance radars to the Philippine Navy as the first cooperation project in the world under Japan’s newly established Official Security Assistance (OSA) this year. Japan will continue to contribute to the enhancement of the Philippines’ security capabilities, thereby contributing to regional peace and stability," he said.
Kishida mentioned that he and Marcos also concurred to "commence formal negotiations on a Japan-Philippines reciprocal access agreement (RAA).
"Japan intends to further deepen strategic cooperation with the Philippines in the future," he said.
After his visit at the House of Representative, Kishida also inspect the Metro Manila Subway Depot in Valenzuela in the afternoon and went to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) headquarters in Manila where he boarded BRP Teresa Magbanua before he left the country bound to Malaysia around 3:45 pm. DMS
