By Robina Asido

Former Japanese Defense Minister Onodera Itsunori expressed hope that the reciprocal access agreement (RAA) will be signed during a meeting between defense and foreign ministers of Japan and the Philippines next month.

The RAA will allow Japanese forces to train with Filipino counterparts.

"In the next month, the 8th of July we will have a 2+2 meeting and that time I hope the RAA will be ratified," said Onodera, now a member of the House of Representatives, in a press conference on Friday.

"Once the RAA is concluded I believe we can also do much more ... we're trying to figure out what we can do for the Philippines as well and including with our partners such as the US and Australia," he added.

As part of procedure the RAA will have to be ratified by both the Diet and the Philippine Senate after it will be signed by both countries.

As he met with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Friday morning, Onodera stressed the importance of the change in the Japanese policy on the transfer of defense equipment that will benefit its allied countries, including the Philippines.

"I believe promotion to transfer of the defense equipment will benefit our countries interest in the Indo-Pacific region," he said.

"This year we have the policy changed and based on the change of the policy we can now also jointly develop defense equipment as well as manufacture defense equipment for the other countries. And those products can also be distributed to different countries," he added.

Arsenio Andolong, Department of National Defense spokesman, said Teodoro and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will meet with Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru and Foreign Minister Kamikawa Y?ko for the 2nd Philippines-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting on July 8.

The first meeting was held in April 2022 in Tokyo, Japan.

Andolong said "during the 2+2, the ministers will engage in comprehensive discussions on a range of bilateral, defense, and security issues affecting the region."

"These discussions will encompass a detailed exchange of views on broader regional and international matters, aiming to strengthen cooperation and mutual understanding between the two nations," he said.

"The Philippine officials will also hold separate bilateral meetings with their Japanese counterparts to address specific areas of mutual concern," he added.

Andolong said the "Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting (2+2) represents the highest consultative mechanism between the Philippines and Japan, serving as a platform to further strengthen their decade-old Strategic Partnership." DMS