MANILA – The Philippine government is expected to convene two foreign and defense ministerial dialogues or 2+2 meetings with Japan and the United States in the third quarter of 2024.
In a lunch meeting in Manila, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo confirmed that his counterparts Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will conduct an official visit to the Philippines in the coming weeks.
“We’re planned to have meetings with Japan on a 2+2… And also, there’s a possibility of a Philippine-US 2+2 meeting, this is also standard,” he told reporters.
There is no specific date set yet, but the US-Philippines 2+2 is currently being planned in July or August.
The date for the Japan-Philippines 2+2 is likewise yet to be finalized but Tokyo-based Kyodo reported that the meeting is slated in early July.
“I’m sure that we will have very positive meetings on how we could further improve upon the cooperation we already have. At the moment, I don’t know if there’ll be any agreement signed but definitely, there will be reaffirmation of existing agreements,” Manalo said.
The Japan-Philippine 2+2 meeting will be the second of its kind since the inaugural dialogue in Tokyo in April 2022.
The meeting comes amid efforts from both sides to expand cooperation and negotiate a reciprocal access agreement, a deal similar to a visiting forces agreement.
