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RAA 'defining moment' in Japan, PH defense ties - NSC

Philippine News Agency

By Darryl John Esguerra
June 8, 2025, 11:06 am

MANILA -- The National Security Council (NSC) hailed the Japanese National Diet's ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), calling it a defining moment in Philippine-Japan defense relations.

The RAA, approved by Japan's Diet on Friday, allows joint military operations, training and humanitarian missions between the Philippine and Japanese forces.

"The National Security Council welcomes the ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement by the Japanese National Diet. This is a defining moment in Philippine-Japan defense relations: Timely, strategic, and grounded in shared interests," National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año said in a statement Saturday night.

Año said the agreement "gives both nations the tools to act together, credibly and effectively, at a time when the security environment in the Indo-Pacific is becoming more volatile."

"This agreement is not about expanding influence. It is about defending principles -- sovereignty, stability and the rule of law," he said.

"It provides a clear framework for cooperation and sends an unmistakable message: The Philippines and Japan are prepared to stand together to uphold international law and a rules-based regional order."

The agreement was signed in Tokyo in 2023, ratified by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Nov. 5, 2024, and ratified by the Philippine Senate on Dec. 16.

"Japan's choice to pursue its first such agreement in Asia with the Philippines speaks to the deep trust between our nations and a shared understanding of what is at stake. The RAA is both a practical mechanism and a strategic signal," Año said.

He thanked the Japanese government for its "resolve and foresight," and reaffirmed the Philippines' commitment to implement the agreement and work with Japan to advance regional peace, security and resilience. (PNA)