QUEZON CITY -- Undersecretary Franco Nemesio M. Gacal met with Japan’s Vice Minister of Defense for International Affairs Masami Oka during the Philippines-Japan Vice Ministers’ Defense Dialogue (VMDD), which was held on 07 December 2022 at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati.

The two officials exchanged views on regional security developments, reviewed the overall progress of Philippines-Japan defense cooperation, and discussed opportunities for bilateral, as well as multilateral defense cooperation. Undersecretary Gacal reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to the Philippines-Japan Strategic Partnership as well as to the 2015 Memorandum on Defense Cooperation and Exchanges.

Both sides agreed that the situation in the Indo-Pacific and Europe are intertwined and highlighted that resolving issues of concern should be in line with international law.

Undersecretary Gacal and Vice Minister Oka reaffirmed the agreement to work together to craft frameworks that will enable the Philippines and Japan to further develop defense cooperation. The increase of service-to-service exchanges between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) was commended and further encouraged. The Philippines also expressed appreciation for the contributions of Japan to the capacity-building efforts of the Philippine defense sector.

Vice Minister Oka reaffirmed Japan’s support for ASEAN Centrality, and both sides underscored the importance of multilateral cooperation under the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-Plus) and Japan’s Vientiane Vision. Furthermore, the two officials raised potential ideas to enhance trilateral defense cooperation among the Philippines, Japan, and the US.

It was highlighted that with the convening of the 8th VMDD, the Philippines and Japan have been able to conduct all defense dialogue platforms from the working-level up to the ministerial level in 2022. (DND)