MANILA, Philippines – KAPUWA titiyakin ng Pilipinas at Japan ang kapayapaan at katatagan sa Indo-Pacific region sa paglagda sa kanilang Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), araw ng Lunes.
“This is another milestone in our shared endeavor to ensure a rules-based international order to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and particularly in our region,” ayon kay Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. sa kanyang pambungad na pananalita sa isinagawang pagpupulong kasama si Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara sa Shangri-La The Fort sa Taguig City.
“We look forward to putting into flesh, so the speak, the steps forward now that we have upgraded our partnership one level higher by the signing of the reciprocal access agreement,” ang dagdag na pahayag ng Kalihim.
Tinuran ni Teodoro, ang RAA ay idaragdag sa multilateral efforts ng dalawang bansa upang masiguro na ang international laws ay igagalang sa rehiyon.
Kapit-kamay naman ang Pilipinas at Japan sa pagtatatag ng global architecture upang matiyak na mapananatili ang kapayapaan at katatagan sa lugar.
Sa pagkakaroon ng RAA, ‘looking forward’ ang Pilipinas sa mas maraming confidence-building measures sa pagitan ng Japanese Self-Defense Forces at Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“We look forward to more confidence-building measures between the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the Armed Forces of the Philippines and both our departments so that our shared vision and goals can be realized,” ayon sa Pangulo.
Para naman kay Kihara, ang RAA kasama ang Pilipinas ay mahalaga para sa Japan dahil ang Pilipinas ay isang ‘key junction’ sa sea lanes ng kanyang (Kihara) bansa.
“The Philippines and other Southeast Asian Nations are situated in a very strategically important region. It is a key junction of Japan’s sea lanes,” ang sinabi ni Kihara sa pamamagitan ng translator.
“Advancing defense cooperation and exchanges with the Philippines is important for Japan. And beyond our bilateral relations, Japan is also keen to deepen trilateral and quadrilateral ties such as Japan, the Philippines, the United States—or Japan, the Philippines, United States, and Australia,” aniya pa rin sabay sabing “We look forward of working closely with the Philippines to contribute to the peace and stability of the region.” Kris Jose
