Nagpaliwanag si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte kay Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ukol sa kanyang naging maagang pag-uwi mula sa Japan noong Oktubre.
Sa bilateral meeting ng dalawa sa sidelines ng 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit sa Thailand, sinabi ni Duterte na isang karangalan na masaksihan ang enthronement ni Emperor Naruhito.
“Your Excellency, let me start the talks by giving you and your countrymen that it was my honor to be there during the enthronement of the Emperor,” ani Duterte.
Nagsisisi anya siyang kinailangan niyang umalis nang maaga at hindi na makadalo sa gale dinner.
Gayunman, iginiit ni Duterte na ginawa niya ito dahil kailangan niyang ayusin ang ilang mga bagay sa Pilipinas.
“I regret that I had to go first. I had to cut short. I was not able to attend your gala dinner because I had to attend to some pressing matters back home,” dagdag ng pangulo.
Sinabi naman ni Abe na naiintindihan niya ang sitwasyon ni Duterte at nagpasalamat pa rin ito sa pagdalo ng pangulo sa anya’y napakahalagang okasyon para sa Japan.
“With regard to the ceremony of the enthronement at the Seiden State Hall in Japan, that was an extremely important occasion for Japan and the Japanese people,” ani Abe.
“And I am truly grateful for Mr. President’s participation in the ceremony and also I understand that because of the pressing issues that you had to go back to the Philippines, you have to shorten your visit,” dagdag ng Japanese PM.
Magugunitang pinutol ng Pangulo ang kanyang Japan visit dahil sa nararamdamang sakit sa spinal column natapos ang isang motorcycle accident.
Agad na nagpacheck-up ang pangulo at lumabas na ang kirot na nararamdaman nito ay dahil sa muscle spasm.
Samantala, natalakay sa bilateral meeting nina Duterte at Abe ang ilang mga isyu kabilang ang defense cooperation at infrastructure support.
Ayon kay Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, kinilala ni Duterte ang Japan bilang mahalagang ‘partner’ ng ASEAN sa lahat ng ‘facets of development’.
Lahat anya ng prayoridad ng Japan pasa sa ASEAN ay swak sa pag-unlad ng Pilipinas.
Iginiit din umano ni Duterte ang full implementation ng ASEAN-Japan Agreement on Technical Cooperation para mapalakas ang ‘capacity building’ at ang implementasyon ng ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership para sa mas maayos na kalakalan at pamumuhunan.
“We further note that the President manifested that he looks forward to Japan’s assistance and support in building a more resilient ASEAN community as he conveyed his appreciation of its generous contribution in addressing climate change,” dagdag pa ni Panelo.