Japan's foreign, defense ministers pay courtesy call on Marcos

Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Defense Minister Kihara Minoru paid a courtesy call on President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Monday in Malacañang Palace.

The President welcomed the Japanese ministers as he marked this as an ''important event that our two countries have been working very hard to achieve.''

''I’m glad that having witnessed the commencement, the [beginning] of this agreement that it has now come to fruition and that we are ready now to sign the Reciprocal Agreement,'' Marcos said in his remarks.

''And your presence here increases our confidence and the importance that the Japanese government puts on these extremely important agreements that we have. And I’m very glad that we have come to this day,'' he added.

Both foreign ministers were given arrival honors and they signed the Palace guest book.

Philippine officials present during the courtesy call were Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil.

Foreign Minister Kamikawa and Defense Minister Kihara are in the Philippines for the 2nd Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting (2+2), the highest consultative mechanism that will deepen security and defense policy coordination between Manila and Tokyo.

During their meeting with the President, Defense Minister Kihara committed to work closely with Philippine counterpart Teodoro in elevating the defense relations of the two countries.

''The signature of the reciprocal access agreement today represents the cooperative relationship that our two nations enjoy, and I welcome this new development which reinforces the effectiveness of our defense cooperation,'' Defense Minister Kihara said.

''I am committed to working with my good colleague Secretary Teodoro to further enhance our defense cooperation and exchanges in order to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific,'' he added.

The ministers also expressed belief that the signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement is a concrete progress in the various areas of cooperation between Manila and Tokyo.

''Japan and the Philippines have made concrete progress in a wide range of areas of cooperation. In particular, the fact that we are able to sign the RAA today is a great achievement following the leaders decided to launch negotiations at last November's summit meeting,'' Foreign Minister Kamikawa said.

Japan has since expressed support for the 2016 arbitration ruling that upheld Philippine sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and invalidated China’s massive territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Japan committed to continue cooperating with the international community such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which four members, including the Philippines, have overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

Just like the United States, Japan vows "to protect the free and open international order based on the rule of law." —KG/RSJ, GMA Integrated News