By Robina Asido

BAGUIO CITY -- The Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) could join next year's Balikatan exercises as regular participants once the recently signed Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) is ratified by the Senate before the start of the annual exercise with the United States.

In a press conference after the Mutual Defense Board - Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) meeting between the United States and Philippine, Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. expressed hope that the ratification of the RAA will be completed before the start of the opening of the 40th Balikatan exercise next year.

"We are hoping the ratification would come before the start of the Balikatan exercise so that they could join us not just as observers but actual participants,'' said Brawner.

"We have already signed the RAA with Japan which will allow their troops to come to the Philippines to train with us and also our own troops, Philippine troops to go to Japan to train with them however it has to go through the process it has to be ratified first by our congress and their congress as well so we are waiting for that," he added.

The RAA was signed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko in the presence of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru after the joint courtesy call in Malacanang on July 8, 2024.

Teodoro previously said that the signing of the RAA upgraded the partnership of Philippine and Japan to "one level higher." DMS