Phl eyes Japan’s ratification of RAA this year — Gibo

The Philippines is seeking Japan’s ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) this year, Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. said Monday.

This comes after Teodoro’s Defense Ministerial Meeting with Japan’s Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen in Makati City, where they discussed the strong defense relationship and alliance between their nations.

"A significant milestone was the signing of the RAA between Japan and the Philippines last year. And we look forward to its ratification by the Japanese Diet this year so that we can, shall we say, get to the ground running at full speed in implementing the RAA," Teodoro said in a press briefing after the meeting.

Teodoro also emphasized Japan’s role as a key partner in development, internal peace, security, and disaster resilience efforts.

"Japan is one of our closest partners, not only now in the security and defense field, but also in the political and economic and socio-cultural sphere," he added.

On 8 July 2024, the Philippines and Japan formally signed the RAA, which outlines provisions on entry and departure, movement, access to facilities, professional practice of the visiting force and civilian component for cooperative activities, as well as rules governing jurisdiction over the actions of the visiting force and civilian component.

On 16 December 2024, the Senate concurred with the ratification of the RAA between the Philippines and Japan, facilitating reciprocal access and military cooperation between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.

Teodoro previously stated that the RAA would promote greater information exchanges and other cooperative activities — both bilaterally and multilaterally — based on a rules-based order while upholding core principles of international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Teodoro also said he exchanged views with Nakatani on regional security issues in the Indo-Pacific, including the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

"Most importantly, on our shared initiatives moving forward, not only on bilateral security enhancements, but also in promoting a sustainable, economically beneficial, and defense-sustained defense industry partnership," he added.

The Philippines expects more multilateral engagements with Japan and other allied nations, Teodoro said.

"We are not only to enhance existing alliances in terms of the scale of mutually cooperative activities but also to the scope of these arrangements by also inviting like-minded partners potentially to join these alliances," he said.

“In any case, the upholding of international law and the promotion of a free and open Indo-Pacific, a free and open South China Sea and East Sea, in accordance with generally accepted principles of international law is a shared initiative," he added.

For his part, Nakatani said both countries agreed to further strengthen defense equipment and technology cooperation.

Nakatani also confirmed "progressing" cooperation between both countries regarding the contracted Japanese Air Surveillance and Radio System.

"We also concurred on the launch of a new high-level dialogue between the defense equipment authorities as well as the dispatch of Japanese public and private mission to the Philippines from the perspective of further advancing cooperation in a mutually beneficial manner," he added.