The National Security Council (NSC) added to the growing list of government agencies that voiced support for the ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan, saying it was “timely and strategic” amid the volatile situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a statement Saturday, June 7, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año hailed the approval of the agreement by the Japanese national legislature, the National Diet.

“This is a defining moment in Philippine-Japan defense relations: timely, strategic, and grounded in shared interests,” he said.

He stated that the RAA facilitates joint operations, training, and humanitarian missions between the two countries’ forces.

Further, he said it 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.”

The pact allows both countries to send military forces and equipment to each other’s territory for joint exercises, like the Balikatan Exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States Armed Forces. The agreement also specifies the legal status of the visiting forces.

China, which has a territorial row with the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea, previously criticized RAA, saying that it was Japan that “bears serious historical responsibilities for its aggression and colonial rule over the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries during [the] WWII [World War II].”

Año clarified that the agreement is not about expanding influence but defending principles of sovereignty, stability, and the rule of law.

“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 NSA said.

Further, he said Japan’s choice to pursue its first such agreement in Asia with the Philippines speaks to the deep trust between the two nations and “a shared understanding of what is at stake.”

“The RAA is both a practical mechanism and a strategic signal,” Año added.

The Philippines is the third country with which Japan signed the RAA, following Australia and the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Philippines has an existing visiting forces agreement (VFA) with the United States and Australia.

The Department of National Defense (DND) is also negotiating a similar pact with France, Canada, and New Zealand among other countries.

Earlier, the AFP and the DND, as well as several lawmakers, expressed support for the ratification of the RAA.

Source: Manila Bulletin.