MANILA/TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday pledged to continue to support the Philippine government in addressing the novel coronavirus pandemic.
In a phone talk with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Kishida vowed Japan’s continuous assistance in the country’s efforts to combat the pandemic.
Kishida said Japan’s ties with the Philippines “have indeed reached its golden age under President Duterte’s administration.”
Duterte, on the other hand, told the Japanese premier that Japan is “indeed a friend closer than a brother,” citing its timely assistance in the Philippines’ pandemic response and recovery efforts.
To date, Japan has donated 3,085,700 doses of domestically produced AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to the Philippines. - Florenda Corpuz
(Article cover photo courtesy of King Rodriguez/Presidential Photo)
