President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will leave tomorrow for Tokyo for a four-day state visit that will usher in a new era in Philippine-Japanese partnership focused on peace and prosperity.

It will be the first state visit by a Philippine President to Japan in the 21^st century, the last being that of President Fidel V. Ramos in 1993.

One of the highlights of the President’s visit to Japan will be her address before the Japanese Diet or Parliament on December 3, an event that signifies the importance the Japanese government and people attach to relations with the Philippines and its present leadership.

Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo L. Siazon pointed out that only selected world leaders have been invited to address the Diet. Previous speakers included United States Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela of South Africa, and our own President Carlos P. Garcia.

Siazon also said Japan only accommodates four to five state visits a year.

The Philippine envoy said Philippine-Japanese relations are entering a new phase where "we are also talking about peace, meaning security in the region, and prosperity, meaning not only our own economic development but contributing to the economic development in the region."

During her visit, the President will make a traditional call on the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace. The Royal Couple will also host a state dinner in her honor.

The present Emperor and Empress visited the Philippines in 1962, when Diosdado Macapagal, the President’s father, was president. At that time, President Macapagal-Arroyo was a teenager.

The visit of then Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko was a very difficult chapter in the Philippine-Japan relations, Siazon said.

He pointed out that the visit of the Crown Prince and Princess started a new phase of relations. "It was economic development, and Japan, from that time on, assisted the Philippines’ various programs on economic development," he said.

This week’s visit of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also completes the cycle of relationship she has established with the present Emperor and the Empress.

Also during her visit to Tokyo, the President will meet with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to discuss issues of mutual concern and interest.

Their discussions are expected to include the development of the consultations between Philippines and Japan on the establishment of an Economic Partnership Agreement, the commemoration of the centennial anniversary of Japanese migration to the Philippines, the two countries’ partnership for Third Country Training Program for East Timor, and cross-border issues such as terrorism and piracy.

The bilateral talks are also expected to dwell on Japan’s continued support and contribution of Japan Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Philippine Development, particularly to Mindanao. Japan is the biggest provider of ODA, averaging $800 million per year since 1992, to the Philippines.

The President will likewise deliver a speech before heads of the Keidanren or Japan Federation of Economic Organizations.

She will also hold a press conference with the prestigious Japan National Press Club and grant interviews to the Yomiuri Shimbun, NHK, Nikkei and Kyodo News.

While batting for Philippines’ interest in Japan, the President will also check on the conditions of overseas Filipino workers when she meets with the Filipino community at the Hotel Mariners Court in Tokyo.