Second Japan-Philippines Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting

On July 8, Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Mr. KIHARA Minoru, Minister of Defense of Japan, who are visiting Manila, the Republic of the Philippines, held the second Japan-Philippines Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting (“2+2”) with Hon. Enrique A. Manalo, Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines and Hon. Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., Secretary of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines for about 80 minutes from 2:30 p.m. local time (3:30 p.m. Japan time). The Joint Press Release was issued after the meeting. The overview of the meeting is as follows:

Overview

The four Ministers welcomed the convening of the “2+2” meeting between Japan and the Philippines which is held for the first time under the Marcos administration and in almost two years. Recognizing that Japan and the Philippines are maritime nations and strategic partners sharing fundamental values and principles, the four Ministers confirmed that the two countries would promote security and defense cooperation and strengthen coordination on regional and global issues toward maintaining and strengthening the free and open international order based on the rule of law.

Regional Situation

1. The four Ministers shared their views on the strategic environment and confirmed their collaboration toward the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

2. Regarding the situation in the East and South China Seas, the four Ministers expressed strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. They then shared serious concerns over actions which increase tensions in the region, particularly the recent dangerous activities at Second Thomas Shoal, and concurred to call for the adherence to international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Minister Kamikawa also stated that Japan reiterates its support for the Philippines’ commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea.

3. The four Ministers also exchanged views on the latest situations relating to North Korea and concurred to continue to work closely in dealing with it, including on the nuclear and missile issues, as well as the abductions issue.

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Security and Defense Cooperation

1. The four Ministers reviewed the progress in security and defense cooperation between the two countries, and shared recognition on ways forward for future cooperation.

2. The four Ministers confirmed that the two countries would promote exchanges and cooperation between their forces based on the Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) signed today, which establishes a new foundation for cooperation.

3. The four Ministers also confirmed that the two countries would continue and strengthen cooperation in capacity building, including defense equipment and technical cooperation, as well as the Official Security Assistance (OSA).

4. Furthermore, the four Ministers confirmed that the two countries would continue and strengthen cooperation in the areas of economic security, cybersecurity, maritime affairs, and assistance for the Mindanao peace process including from the perspective of WPS.

Multilateral Cooperation

1. The four Ministers confirmed the promotion of multilateral cooperation, including coordination in the international arena.

2. The four Ministers confirmed that the two countries would build multilayered cooperation with allies and like-minded countries, including Japan-Philippines-US and Japan-US-Australia-Philippines.

3. The four Ministers also confirmed that the two countries would advance coordination on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including the promotion of the commencement of FMCT negotiations.

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