By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of cooperation between the Philippines and Japan in strengthening energy security measures, as tensions in the Middle East continue to affect global fuel supply.
This, as Marcos Jr. met with former Japanese prime minister Kishida Fumio, who is now serving as Supreme Adviser to the Parliamentary Association of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), in a courtesy call at Malacañan Palace on Thursday.
“I understand that you are here to promote AZEC, a very important initiative, especially [at] this time. It was already very important before, but it has become especially pressing and critical with all of the events that are transpiring in the Middle East and the effects that it has had on the entire energy system of the world,” the President said.
AZEC is a Japan-led initiative that seeks to advance decarbonization efforts in Asia. The platform was proposed by Kishida in 2022 and was launched by 11 partner countries, including the Philippines, in 2023.
Noting the urgent need to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, Marcos Jr. told Kishida that the Philippines is looking forward to continued cooperation with Japan and AZEC in its efforts to promote a shift to cleaner energy.
“We hope that we can continue our work in moving our countries away from fossil fuels and absorb more of the renewables technology that we have been trying to shift to,” Marcos said.
Kishida, meanwhile, thanked Marcos for joining the AZEC Plus Online Summit last April 15, echoing the President’s call for stronger regional cooperation to address energy supply disruptions.
“We would like to promote cooperation with the Philippines on economic and energy resilience,” he said, noting that current Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is keen on working closely with the Philippines as it is set to host the 4th AZEC Leaders’ Meeting in Manila in November.
President Marcos Jr. also expressed gratitude for Japan’s continued support to the Philippines’ energy security initiatives, particularly its commitment to honor and maintain existing supply contracts for fuel.
On March 26, about 142,000 barrels, equivalent to over 22.6 million liters of diesel from Japan arrived in Batangas, according to the Department of Energy.
Japan earlier announced a USD10 billion energy cooperation framework that seeks to help fellow Asian countries manage energy disruptions by supporting fuel procurement, strengthening supply chains, and expanding energy security cooperation.
Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos will undertake a state visit to Japan on May 26–29, upon the invitation of the Japanese government.
The visit coincides with the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the normalization of Manila and Tokyo’s diplomatic relations this year.
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