Ipinunto ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ang kahalagahan ng defense cooperation ng Japan sa Pilipinas, kasunod ng paglagda sa Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) ng dalawang bansa, ngayong araw (July 8).
“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 (Access) Agreement,” -Pangulong Marcos.
Sa ilalim ng RAA, palalakasin ang military cooperation sa pagitan ng Tokyo at Maynila, sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaroon ng palitan ng drills at military exercises ang mga sundalo ng dalawang bansa.
Sabi ng Pangulo, napakahalaga ng kaganapan ngayong araw, na pinaghirapang maisakatuparan ng Japan at Pilipinas.
“For a very, very important event that our two countries have been working very hard to achieve.” -Pangulong Marcos.
Kung matatandaan, personal na sinaksihan ng Pangulo ang ceremonial signing ng RAA sa Malacañang, na pinangunahan nina Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro, at Japanese Defense Minister Kihara Minoru.
“And your presence here increases our confidence and the importance that the Japanese government puts on these extremely important agreements that we have,” -Pangulong Marcos.
Sa panig naman ng Japanese official, nagpalasamat ito sa pagkonsidera ni Pangulong Marcos sa Japan-Philippinies alliance.
Ang dalawang nasyon aniya, marami nang progreso ang naabot sa iba’t ibang larangan.
“In particular, the fact that we are able to sign the RAA today is a great achievement following the leaders’ decision to launch negotiations at last November’s summit meeting,” -Kamikawa.| ulat ni Racquel Bayan
