TOKYO/MANILA – Japan’s Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa expressed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s condolences on the passing of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, who died on Tuesday at the age of 83.
Koshikawa on Thursday took to Twitter to convey the message to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., mourning the loss of an esteemed ex-Cabinet member.
Kishida and Del Rosario shared a strong bond of friendship during their tenures as foreign ministers, as acknowledged by Koshikawa’s tweet.
“PM Kishida has been a good friend of Secretary Del Rosario since he was Foreign Minister,” he wrote.
In an earlier tweet, the Japanese envoy hailed Del Rosario’s invaluable contributions towards strengthening Philippines-Japan ties, exemplified by the conferment of a Japanese Decoration last year, and his leadership in upholding the rule of law in the sea.
Del Rosario’s legacy of promoting cooperation between the two countries earned him the highest commendation for foreign nationals, the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, bestowed by the Japanese government.
He served as foreign minister under the administration of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III from 2011 to 2016, during which Kishida held his Japanese counterpart position. - Florenda Corpuz
(File photo taken in Tokyo on Nov. 18, 2014)
