Yomiuri, Nikkei, and Sankei highlighted a teleconference held yesterday evening between Prime Minister Kishida and Philippine President Duterte during which they agreed to look into the possibility of convening a bilateral foreign and security ministerial meeting. The Philippines will be the second ASEAN partner following Indonesia with which Japan will establish a 2+2 framework. The premier reportedly pledged Japan’s continued commitment to assisting the Southeast Asian country in promoting infrastructure investment and enhancing law-enforcement capabilities at sea. They confirmed coordination in resolving the issue of North Korea’s abduction of Japanese nationals and dealing with the situation in Myanmar.