The Philippines and Japan signed a key agreement that will allow them to send troops to each other's countries. The agreement, called the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), is seen as a major step forward in relations between the two countries.

The signing will take place in Malacañang Palace, Manila, after the courtesy call of Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Defense Minister Kihara Minoru on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

The Philippine-Japan RAA is a commitment made at the inaugural PH-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting, or 2+2, the highest consultative mechanism to further deepen security and defense policy coordination and security cooperation between the two countries, in April 2022. The first formal negotiations were held in Tokyo on Nov. 29 and 30, 2023. A virtual line-by-line reading of the RAA main text, the Agreed Minutes, and two records of discussions were held on June 11.

This agreement comes after months of talks and is seen as a way to boost security cooperation in the region. The Philippines has been working to strengthen its military ties with other countries, including the United States, in response to growing tensions with China in the South China Sea.
Source and Photo Cr.: Philippines News Agency