Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro expressed hope on Tuesday that a joint exercise by Philippine and Japanese troops under a new bilateral security pact "could be" held as early as next year.
In an interview with Kyodo News, Teodoro said he believes talks for the proposed Reciprocal Access Agreement will go "very smoothly" and be signed "the soonest possible time."
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed over the weekend at their meeting in Manila that they will begin negotiations on the RAA.
"I do not think there will be any obstacle," Teodoro said of the negotiations. When asked about the RAA being formally sealed during Marcos' attendance at the ASEAN-Japan Summit in Tokyo next month, Teodoro said he is "optimistic about the possibility."
The agreement will not only facilitate joint defense drills but also contain a "data sharing mechanism with the appropriate security protocols between and among the countries -- bilaterally and perhaps in a combined manner," the defense secretary said.
His remarks come in light of Japan's pledge to supply coastal surveillance radars to the Philippines, which has a similar security agreement with the United States, a defense treaty ally, and Australia.
Teodoro underlined the need for an RAA as his country and Japan "face similar challenges," and said the pact is significant "in order to make our countries more secure, to deter future challenges to our territorial integrity and sovereignty."
He also thanked Japan for condemning the "intentional collision by Chinese vessels" against Philippine vessels on Oct. 22 near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
