By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to deepen defense cooperation between Japan and the Philippines, citing an increasingly complex regional security environment.
Speaking after the Japan-Philippines Defense Ministers Meeting in Makati City, Koizumi described his talks with Teodoro as highly productive.
“As the regional and international security environment becomes increasingly severe, Japan and the Philippines have been working in close coordination,” he said during a media briefing, noting they had a “productive and substantive discussion on defense cooperation between our two countries.”
Koizumi said both sides discussed ways to expand collaboration in “Policy, Operations, and Defense Equipment and Technology in a more integrated and comprehensive manner.”
He highlighted Japan’s recent revision of its “Three Principles on the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology” and corresponding implementation guidelines, saying these would strengthen Tokyo’s contribution to regional and global peace.
Koizumi said, “Secretary Teodoro once again expressed his support and expectations regarding this revision. Under this new framework for the Transfer of Defense Equipment, Secretary Teodoro and I signed today (Tuesday), [a] Statement on the Further Promotion of Defense Equipment and Technology Cooperation. Through this statement, we agreed to establish a working group bringing together the policy, operational, and equipment of the defense authorities of both countries.
We also agreed to move forward with discussions aimed at realizing comprehensive equipment cooperation, including education and training, maintenance and sustainment, operational coordination, information sharing, and the proper management of transferred equipment, with a view to the early transfer of Abukuma-class destroyers and TC-90 aircraft, as well as other defense equipment.”
Koizumi also welcomed progress in bilateral defense engagement, particularly the implementation of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which entered into force in September last year.
He said by applying the RAA to the ongoing U.S.-Philippines-hosted multilateral exercise ‘Balikatan’ 26, “we were able to bring in equipment to the Philippines and participate in more advanced training, which had not been possible previously.”
He noted that the scale and sophistication of the exercise had significantly improved, including “the first-ever live-fire training of surface-to-ship missile conducted by Japan in the Philippines,” and a sharp increase in participation by the Japan Self-Defense Forces from around 140 personnel last year to about 1,400 this year.
Koizumi added that Japan intends to further strengthen cooperation through the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement signed in January.
On WPS geopolitical developments
Both officials also reaffirmed their opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
Koizumi said they agreed to expand multilateral cooperation involving Japan, the United States, the Philippines, and Australia, including through frameworks such as “Balikatan” and Maritime Cooperative Activities.
He also underscored the importance of broader regional cooperation through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, “As the international security environment becomes increasingly complex and tense, cooperation between Japan and the Philippines as strategic partners is becoming ever more important.
Japan remains firmly committed to further deepening defense cooperation with the Philippines and working together to ensure peace and stability in the region.”
For his part, Teodoro thanked Koizumi for his visit, which coincided with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“And he came here to personally witness the first-ever exercise participated in by Japan as a SOVFA (Status Of Visiting Forces Agreement) partner and as a resilient, converged partner of the Philippines.”
Teodoro also affirmed the points raised by his Japanese counterpart, “We thank Japan once again for its review of the Three Principles on the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and its Implementing Guidelines. And we were very happy to work with Japan in creating demonstrable results at the soonest possible time.”
The DND chief also expressed gratitude for Japan’s assistance during disasters, “Most recently, in extending technical assistance to us in the Navotas landfill fire. As you have witnessed, the ambassador was personally there to bring in the technical experts of Japan to help us try to contain and finally extinguish the fire and address the side effects or the noxious effects of the same.” (PNA)
