The Philippines and Japanese governments cited steady progress toward the entry into force of the Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA).
Japan Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo held a Japan-Philippines Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Working Lunch on May 28, 20205 in Japan to discuss and to follow up some bilateral cooperation, the Japanese embassy in Manila said.
The RAA was signed by both governments on July 8, 2024 establishing procedures for the cooperative activities that are conducted by forces of Japan and the Philippines while the force of one country is visiting the other country and defines a legal status of the visiting force. The Philippines is the third country with which Japan signed the RAA, following Australia and the United Kingdom.
It is expected that the Japan-Philippines RAA will facilitate the implementation of cooperative activities, such as joint exercises and disaster relief between Japan and the Philippines and improve interoperability between the forces of the two countries.
The two foreign ministers also agreed to hold Maritime Consultations and Vice-Ministerial Strategic Dialogue within this year to share strategic perceptions and further advance cooperation in the field of security, including the maritime domain.
As the security environment in the region becomes increasingly severe, the signing of this important security-related agreement with the Philippines, a strategic partner located at a strategic juncture on the sea lanes and sharing fundamental values and principles with Japan, will further promote security and defense cooperation between the two countries and firmly support peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
