President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation on energy security and to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy at Malacañan Palce on Thursday, April 30.

Kishida, now serving as Supreme Adviser to the Parliamentary Association of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), is in the Philippines from April 30 to May 2 as a special envoy of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. His visit includes a series of high-level meetings aimed at advancing AZEC initiatives and enhancing Philippines-Japan bilateral ties.

During the courtesy call, Marcos welcomed Kishida and highlighted the importance of sustained collaboration with Japan, particularly amid global energy uncertainty linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

“I understand that you are here to promote AZEC, a very important initiative, especially in 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.

He noted that ongoing disruptions in global energy supply underscore the need to fast-track the country’s shift to cleaner and more resilient energy systems.

“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,” President Marcos said.

The President also thanked Japan for its continued support, particularly its commitment to uphold existing fuel supply agreements.

He expressed hope that tensions in the Middle East would ease soon, citing the Philippines’ vulnerability due to the presence of around 2.5 million overseas Filipino workers in the region.

For his part, Kishida reiterated Japan’s commitment to advancing AZEC, an initiative he introduced in 2022 to promote regional decarbonization and energy cooperation across Asia.

“We would like to promote cooperation with the Philippines on economic and energy resilience,” Kishida said.

He also relayed the intent of Prime Minister Takaichi to work closely with the Philippines, especially as the country prepares to host the 4th AZEC Leaders’ Meeting in November. Kishida likewise handed over a letter from the Japanese Prime Minister to President Marcos during the meeting.

His visit comes after Japan announced a USD 10 billion energy cooperation framework, the Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience (POWERR Asia), during the recent AZEC Plus Online Summit. The initiative aims to help countries address energy disruptions by supporting fuel procurement, strengthening supply chains, and enhancing regional energy security.

Also present at the meeting were key Philippine officials, including Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Finance Secretary Frederick Go, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez, and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Maria Andrelita Austria.

Kishida was accompanied by members of Japan’s House of Representatives and House of Councilors, along with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and representatives from AZEC.