Japan, Philippines to Sign Troop Access Pact in July

   Tokyo, June 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan and the Philippines are expected to sign a bilateral agreement on reciprocal troop access at a ministerial security meeting in the Philippines next month, people familiar with the matter said Friday.
   The agreement is designed to facilitate mutual visits by Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military to each other's country.
   The two countries are expected to sign the agreement at a meeting of their foreign and defense ministers likely to take place in the Philippines on July 8.
   The meeting will bring together Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara from Japan and Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro from the Philippines.
   At the meeting, the ministers are also likely to confirm cooperation to counter China's assertiveness. It will be the second such meeting, after the first in April 2022.

(2024/06/28-15:42)

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