President Marcos, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (clockwise from right) reaffirm their commitment to greater cooperation in several areas, including economic growth and regional security, during a video phone call on Monday. — MALACAÑANG/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ANN Photoo

MANILA — President Marcos, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba vowed on Monday during a video call to further deepen cooperation under a trilateral arrangement in the face of rising tensions in Asia’s waters.

The US president said he was confident that his successor, Donald Trump, would “see the value of continuing this partnership and that it is framed the right way.”

“Simply put, our countries have an interest in continuing this partnership and institutionalizing our cooperation across our governments so that it is built to last,” Biden told both leaders.

Marcos who was with Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and other senior government officials in Malacañang during the 25-minute call, expressed confidence that “our three countries will continue to work together closely to sustain the gains that we have made in enhancing and deepening our ties.”

The trilateral phone call was originally scheduled on Sunday, but Washington asked to move it a day later as US authorities grappled with containing the wildfires in California.

According to Biden, the United Staes, Philippines and Japan were able to make a lot of progress since the holding of the trilateral summit in Washington in April 2024.

In that meeting, the three countries pledged to work together in maintaining peace and security in Indo-Pacific region, one of the world’s busiest maritime zones.

For his part, Ishiba underscored the importance of enhancing their trilateral relations as he shared Biden’s observation of improved cooperation among the allied countries.

“Going forward, it is important to deepen trilateral cooperation in a variety of fields,” Ishiba said.

The Philippines last year ratified a military agreement with Japan that would ease the entry of soldiers into each other’s country for joint military exercises. The coast guards of the three countries also staged joint exercises in 2023. — Malacanang/Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN