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Friday, March 31, 2006
RP, Japan to hold talks, mark 50th anniversary of ties (6:10 p.m.)
MANILA -- The foreign ministers of the Philippines and Japan are to discuss a range of issues next week in the runup to the 50th anniversary of normalization of diplomatic ties between the World War II foes, officials announced Friday.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo is to visit Tokyo on Monday to Wednesday at the invitation of Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, Philippine Foreign Assistant Secretary Erlinda Basilio said in a statement.
Romulo and Aso will tackle "the entirety of Philippines' bilateral relations with Japan," such as trade and investment, Japan's official development assistance, the two countries' continuing political-security dialogue, multilateral cooperation and the status of Filipino workers in Japan, Basilio said.
They will also discuss the celebration of the 50th of anniversary of the "Treaty of Peace with Japan" and "Reparations Agreement Between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines" -- both of which took effect in July 1956.
Romulo will address a gathering of Japanese parliamentarians, Basilio said.
Japan remains the Philippines' biggest provider of official development aid and its top trading partner after the United States.
Last year, two-way trade was US$14.8 billion.
Around 140,000 Filipinos reside and work in Japan. (AP)
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