President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos depart from the Maharlika Presidential Hangar, Villamor Air Base, Pasay City, on May 25, 225 for the 46th ASEAN Summit, the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit, and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Santi San Juan)
President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos will embark on a state visit to Japan from May 26 to 29, Malacañang announced.
This came as a confirmation of the earlier invitation made by the Japanese government to host Marcos as a state guest.
According to the Palace, the President and the First Lady will be received by the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace for a welcome ceremony and a state call.
Their Majesties will also host a State Banquet in honor of the President and the First Lady.
During the visit, Marcos is expected to hold a summit meeting with Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae to discuss the future trajectory of the Philippines-Japan Strengthened Strategic Partnership and continue their recent discussions on current international developments, especially with regard to energy and food security, and maritime security.
The President is also scheduled to meet with Japanese business groups and the members of the Filipino community in Japan, as part of his official engagements during the state visit.
The last state visit to Japan by a Philippine President was undertaken by former President Benigno S. Aquino IIl in June 2015 while the Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko last undertook a state visit to the Philippines in January 2016.
The Philippines and Japan are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic relations this year.