By Ma. Teresa Montemayor | Philippine News Agency
Japan’s Diet on Friday approved a significant defense agreement permitting the deployment of Japanese forces to the Philippines for joint military exercises with Filipino troops.
“We welcome today’s approval of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan by the House of Councillors, which cmpletes the approval process in the Japanese Diet,” Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano said in a statement.
The RAA facilitates greater military cooperation between the two nations by streamlining procedures for the deployment of forces in each other’s territories for joint training and disaster response operations.
The agreement is key to enhancing the countries’ strategic partnership amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific Region.
It was signed in Tokyo in 2023 after negotiations on shared security interests, freedom of navigation, and humanitarian cooperation.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ratified the agreement on Nov. 5, 2024, and was approved by the Philippine Senate on Dec. 16.
Both countries’ concerns about increasing maritime assertiveness in the South China Sea and the broader strategic competition in the region are underscored in the agreement.
“The RAA is a testament to the trust and enduring friendship between the Philippines and Japan. It will enhance our ability to work closely together in promoting a rules-based order governed by international law,” Garcia-Albano said.
“We thank the Government and people of Japan for their steadfast support and continued collaboration. We look forward to the full implementation of this agreement and to building an even more resilient and forward-looking partnership in the years ahead.”
DND hails move
The Department of National Defense (DND) welcomed the Japanese diet’s approval of the RAA.
“The RAA allows the Philippines and Japan to work more closely together on defense and security matters. This agreement follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen partnerships with like-minded countries,” it said in a statement.
The DND also said the agreement is a crucial step forward in building a trusted and reliable defense relationship and helping both countries contribute to a free, open, and peaceful Indo-Pacific Region. (with report from Priam Nepomuceno / PNA)
