The Japanese embassy confirms the meeting between Marcos and Ishiba

This photo taken on September 27, 2024, shows Shigeru Ishiba, the newly elected leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), attending a press conference following the LDP leadership election in Tokyo. AFP

The Philippines and Japan have drawn up plans to enforce the historic Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) that the two countries signed last July after years of discussions.

The RAA is a visiting forces of accord that enables greater military cooperation amid rising security tensions in the Southeast Asian region.

President Marcos and newly elected Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held informal talks on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Laos on Thursday, according to the Japanese Embassy in Manila.

The embassy said Marcos congratulated Ishiba on his recent inauguration.

“President Marcos also said that he was pleased with the strengthening of bilateral relations between Japan and the Philippines, as well as the progress in cooperation between Japan, the United States and the Philippines, and would like to further cooperation with Prime Minister Ishiba strengthen.” the embassy said in a statement.

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Ishiba responded by reciprocating Marcos’ enthusiasm for their two states’ growing alliance and proposed further deepening cooperation with Manila “amid an increasingly challenging regional security environment.”

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Marcos and Ishiba also confirmed that they will follow the “early entry into force” procedures of the RAA.

Discussions about the RAA, the Japanese term for a VFA, date back to the 1990s after the Philippines signed a VFA with the United States.

Joint military exercises

However, discussions on an RAA were postponed until Manila entered into a Visiting Armed Forces Status pact with Australia in 2007.

RAA talks did not resume in earnest until 2023 until the Philippines-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement was signed on July 8, 2024.

It was the first RAA signed by Japan with a Southeast Asian country and the third such agreement signed by the Philippines after the pacts with the United States and Australia.

Under the RAA, Philippine and Japanese armed forces may deploy to each other’s territories for joint military exercises and operations.

The agreement also streamlines the import of military equipment and supplies for both countries.