General Romeo Brawner Jr, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and General Yoshida Yoshihide, Chief of Joint Staff, Japan Self-Defence Force, met via video teleconferencing on Thursday to discuss pressing regional security matters and developments in the Philippine-Japan defense partnership.

The two celebrated the transfer of the air surveillance radar system and expressed support for the immediate finalization of the reciprocal access agreement to allow more interoperable cooperation between the two maritime nations.

They also stressed the importance of alliance-building to counter aggression, such as the incidents in the West Philippine Sea on December 10, as well as lauded the recent conclusion of the Multilateral Staff Talks with Australia and the United States in Tokyo. Gen Yoshida also conveyed Japan’s support to the 2016 Arbitral Ruling and expressed their strong opposition to actions that alter the status quo.

The meeting demonstrates the AFP’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with like-minded nations and drawing support for the advancement of a rules-based international order and a free and open Indo-Pacific region. AFP Public Affairs Office