Philippine and Japan defense ministers will deepen bilateral defense cooperation, noting the "increasingly severe" security environment in the region.''

"Secretary (Gilberto) Teodoro (Jr.) and I firmly concurred that the security environment surrounding us is becoming increasingly severe and that it is necessary for the two countries as strategic partners to further enhance defense cooperation and collaboration in order to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific amid such a situation," Japan Defense Minister Nakatani Gen told reporters following a bilateral meeting in Makati on Monday.

The two ministers recognized the need to deepen bilateral cooperation in three areas including operational cooperation, as they welcomed the advancement of bilateral and multilateral training and unit-to-unit exchanges, including port calls between the forces of two countries.

"We agreed to establish a strategic dialogue between high-level operational action officers and advance specific discussion toward deeper information sharing and advanced operational collaboration in order to further elevate bilateral cooperation, which has been built up thus far. We also agreed to commence discussion between defense authorities on military information protection mechanisms," Nakatani said.

"Having confirmed that cooperation on contracted Japanese air surveillance and radio systems is in progress, we also concurred with the launch of a new high-level dialogue between the defense equipment authorities, as well as the dispatch of Japanese public and private missions to the Philippines from the perspective of further advancing cooperation in a mutually beneficial manner," he added.

In his part, Teodoro stressed the importance of enhancing the strategic partnership between the Philippines and Japan to maintain peace and stability amid "unilateral attempts by China and other countries to change the international order".

Teodoro said the Philippines and Japan share "the common cause of resisting any unilateral attempt to reshape the global order without the consent of the participants of this global order and the attempt to reshape international law by force."

"It is important that this partnership is proof of that common desire to have a free and open and prosperous Indo-Pacific, which will not only benefit countries per se, but at the end of the day ensure sustainability, environmental protection, livelihoods for us, for the common Filipino, particularly our fisherfolk who would need to be able to explore the bounty of the sea," he said.

"And for future generations of both Filipinos and Japanese, that they be able to explore and exploit the resources that international law grants to them to ensure their future prosperity, integrity and security, and the protection of the freedoms they enjoy as integral parts of their ways of life," he added.

Teodoro is also looking at possible ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) by the National Diet of Japan this year as Japan is expected to accelerate the deal once it is ratified.

"A significant milestone was the signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan and the Philippines last year, and we look forward to its ratification by the Japanese Diet this year so that we can, shall we say, get to the ground running at full speed in implementing the Reciprocal Access Agreement," he said.

The RAA that was signed in July 2024 to improve the interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan for more extensive practical military cooperation and exercises and bolster the security and defense of both countries was ratified by the Philippine Senate in December of previous year.

However, Japan's parliament is expected to start the ratification of the deal by the third quarter of 2025. Robina Asido/DMS