The Philippines, the US, and Japan vowed on Monday to continue working together to enhance and deepen trilateral ties, particularly in the areas of economic, maritime, and technology cooperation.

“I am confident that our three countries will continue to work together closely to sustain the gains that we have made in enhancing and deepening our ties,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in his remarks during the trilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden Jr. and Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru.

Marcos Jr., Biden, and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida participated in a trilateral summit in Washington, DC, on April 11, 2024, where they reaffirmed their commitment to a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, guided by the values of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.

The Chief Executive noted that since the adoption of the Trilateral Joint Vision Statement in April, substantial progress had been made in implementing bilateral and trilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest between the Philippines, the US, and Japan.

These interests include inclusive economic growth and resilience, crucial and emerging technologies, climate cooperation and clean energy, and promoting peace and security among the three nations.

Biden echoed President Marcos’ sentiments, stating that the Philippines, the US, and Japan “have made historic progress” since the Trilateral Summit last April, “especially in maritime security, economic security, and technology cooperation.”

“Since then, we’ve made historic progress in our trilateral partnership, especially in areas of maritime security, economic security, technology cooperation, and high-quality infrastructure investments … We should continue to deepen our cooperation in these areas, I believe,” President Biden said.

Biden also commended Marcos Jr. for his diplomatic response “to China’s aggressive and coercive activities in the South China Sea.”

“Simply put, our countries have an interest in continuing this partnership and institutionalizing our cooperation across our governments so that it is built to last. I’m optimistic that my successor will also see the value of continuing this partnership, and that it is framed the right way,” President Biden said.

Prime Minister Ishiba also highlighted the importance of deepening trilateral cooperation between the Philippines, the US, and Japan, noting the progress made since the trilateral summit in April.

“Going forward, it is important to deepen trilateral cooperation in a variety of fields,” Ishiba said.

In a trilateral phone call on Monday, Marcos Jr., Biden and Ishiba committed to enhance the trilateral relations among the three countries.