TOKYO, Japan---The Philippines and Japan have agreed to finalized the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) "as soon as possible (ASAP)".
"I think both the Prime Minister and I agree ASAP. Lahat ito ay as soon as possible yesterday, if not sooner," Marcos said in an interview with Manila-based reporters on Monday, Dec. 18.
Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed during their bilateral meeting here to speed up the finalization of the forging of a defense pact that is expected to bolster both countries’ defense capabilities.
The RAA will facilitate exercises between the Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) and Japan defense forces.
"[I]t has been in the works for.. way before that. Of course, the incidents in the past few couple of months has certainly sharpened our focus when it comes to that, but again that is one of the things that I am looking forward to," Marcos said.
The President stressed that it "would be big" and "will have a big multiplier effect" to the country's capabilities.
"These are the kind of arrangements we are making not only with Japan, but also with other countries around China Sea, Indo-Pacific region. And it has become a very important part of these trips that we take," Marcos said.
He further said that the Philippines already has the same kind of negotiations with other countries, noting that the government will continue to pursue such agreements to help the country handle the issues in the West Philippine Sea.
"We also have the same kind of negotiations or discussions with many other countries, so we will continue to do that para marami ang tumutulong sa atin sa problemang kinakaharap natin sa South China Sea (so that more countries would help us in the problems we are facing in the South China Sea)," Marcos said.