The leaders of Japan and the Philippines agreed to negotiate a reciprocal troop access arrangement on Friday to improve military cooperation between the two countries.

In a joint press briefing in Malacañan on Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had agreed to work closely with the U.S. and shared concern about "unacceptable" attempts to "unilaterally change the status quo by force" in the East and South China Seas.

"A further decision was made to start negotiations on a reciprocal access agreement and we agreed (to strengthen trilateral cooperation further)," Kishida said.

Marcos, for his part, affirmed the Philippines' commitment to peaceful negotiations to resolve maritime conflicts and the need for a stable and secure environment for mutually inclusive growth and development for the Asian region.

"We are cognizant of the benefits of having this arrangement both to our defense and military personnel and to maintaining peace and stability in our region," Marcos said.

Both the Philippines and Japan have strongly opposed Chinese warships' aggressive behavior amid decades-old maritime sovereignty conflicts.

The troop accord would follow the Philippines' Visiting Forces Agreement, which allows the U.S. to maintain a continual but rotating military presence in the Philippines for training exercises.

Phl, Japan sign agreements on defense, other industries

With that, Marcos said the Philippines and Japan signed key agreements on security, defense, maritime cooperation, and other industries.

"Today, key agreements have been signed that will propel the momentum of our bilateral relations in the next coming years, building on the Joint Statement issued on 9 February 2023 following my official visit to Japan," President Marcos said shortly after a bilateral meeting with Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Counting on the active framework of defense and security cooperation, President Marcos said there was an Exchange of Notes on the Official Security Assistance (OSA) from Japan to the Government of the Philippines.

The OSA will further enhance the military capacities of countries, including the Philippines, which shares common security grant worth JPY 600 million or around P235.50 million intended to help boost the efforts of the Defense Department by securing coastal radars for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to enhance their maritime domain awareness capability and maritime security.

The Exchange of Notes on the Non-Project Grant Aid (NPGA) for the Acquisition of Construction Equipment for Road Network Improvement / Implementation and Disaster Quick Response Operation in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM) was also signed, the President announced.

The grant, worth JPY 957 million or US$6 million, will significantly contribute to mitigating the impact of flooding aggravated by climate change in the Bangsamoro region.

Also signed on Friday were the Memorandum of Cooperation on Mining Sector between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan, and the Memorandum of Cooperation in the Field of Tourism between the Department of Tourism (DOT) of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism of Japan.

The agreements are intended to promote sustainable development of the mining and mineral resources sectors of the Philippines and Japan, while the one on tourism sector aims to boost cooperation between the two countries.

Marcos expressed appreciation for Japan's commitment to the Philippines manifested by its dynamic support to the country's efforts to attain Upper Middle Income Country (UMIC) status by 2025 in line with the administration's Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

The Japan-funded Metro Manila Subway Project, and the development of the North-South Commuter Railway and its extension will secure a reliable, safe, and efficient mass transportation system for the entire country, Marcos added.