Philippines, US, Japan meeting being worked out, says Romualdez

JAKARTA—The United States and Japan have requested a trilateral meeting with the Philippines on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit here, Ambassador Jose Manuel "Babe" Romualdez told Filipino reporters covering President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. here.

Romualdez, however, said the meeting was "still being worked out" given the tight schedules of those from the US and Japan.

“The trilateral meeting was actually requested by both the United States and Japan for the Philippines to get together here in Jakarta. However, the schedules are a bit tight for, especially, I think for Japan and the United States,” Romualdez said on Tuesday night.

The Philippine ambassador to Washington said the meeting's significance "was because of the fact that we’ve had discussions with both Japan and the United States on the issues surrounding our area, our territorial waters and of course, the South China Sea.”

“So, the President was very eager to have that meeting. However, as I said, it is still being worked out. The schedule is really very tight for both—not only for us, but also for the United States because of the very short stay of the Vice President,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez said US Vice President Kamala Harris, who arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday evening, would attend meetings the whole of Wednesday and would leave Thursday.

“She's only really staying for one. So we’re not sure that’s going to happen. However, they will see each other, of course, tomorrow and at the gala dinner. So hopefully something along those lines, or in that timeframe, they’ll be able to meet,” Romualdez said.

Apart from the discussion on the South China Sea, Romualdez also cited the importance of the trilateral talks on the economic cooperation between the Philippines and the US, as well as the Philippines and Japan.

“Obviously, the West Philippine Sea will most likely be part of the discussion, but mostly in cooperation and how Japan, the United States and the Philippines will work together, especially in the area of economic security, which is also very important for us,” Romualdez said.

Asked about China’s possible reaction to the planned trilateral meeting, Romualdez said the discussion might be taken in another perspective due to the situation in the SCS but added, “It is really a meeting of friends and allies and partners.”

“It’s nothing new that in meetings like this, in summits like this, there [are] always a lot of bilateral meetings between so many countries. I know that people are putting meaning into it, special meaning into it because of the situation in our part of the world but at the end of the day, it is really a meeting of friends and allies and partners,” he said.

Marcos, Harris, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are all in Indonesia to attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit and other related summits.

Marcos is set to hold bilateral talks with other world leaders on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/880670/marcos-to-hold-several-bilateral-meetings-at-asean-summit-dfa/story/

He will meet with Cambodia's new Prime Minister Hun Manet, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. 

The discussions will likely focus on bilateral cooperation, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu said at a Palace press briefing last week. —NB, GMA Integrated News