Marcos, Japan PM want reciprocal access agreement done ‘ASAP’
TOKYO, Japan — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio want the reciprocal access agreement (RAA) done as soon as possible.
In a media interview on Monday, Marcos said that he and Kishida were in agreement on allowing the armed forces of Tokyo and Manila to enter each other’s territory legally.
“I think both the Prime Minister and I agree ASAP (as soon as possible). Lahat ito (All of this) as soon as possible, yesterday, if not, sooner,” said Marcos.
When asked if China’s aggressive tactics in the West Philippine Sea contributed to the RAA, Marcos said that it had been in the “in the works way before that.”
“It’s been in the works way before that. Of course, the incidents in the past few couple of months have certainly sharpened our focus when it comes to that, but again, that’s one of the things that I’m looking forward to that will have… a very big multiplier effect on our capabilities,” said Marcos.
Marcos reiterated that such agreements are not just being explored with Japan but with other countries as well. However, he did not further specify which countries these were.
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