MANILA – Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Thursday urged the Philippine and Japanese governments to start exploratory talks on a attainable Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) now that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is on a five-day official working go to to Japan.
In a media interview on the Okura Hotel in Tokyo, Zubiri, who’s a part of the Philippine delegation for the President’s state go to, recalled that he had already introduced up the concept of pursuing VFA with Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Koshika Kazuhiko final yr.
The Senate President mentioned that whereas formal talks concerning the VFA have but to achieve Marcos, that is an opportune time for him to boost the difficulty with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.
“It makes strategic sense. Japan is an ally, and with ongoing territorial disputes over our waters, we stand to benefit from stronger security cooperation with our allies,” Zubiri mentioned.
He famous that Japan is already providing very important assist to the Philippine Coast Guard — not simply by vessels and tools but in addition by different capacity-building alternatives similar to coaching – and a VFA will additional strengthen the partnership between the 2 nations.
Zubiri nevertheless clarified that “peaceful diplomacy” stays our foremost transfer towards battle decision, “but we also have to be prepared for any eventuality.”
“With Japan on our side, we will be able to empower our Coast Guard and Armed Forces in times of conflict,” he mentioned.
Besides being essential to increase our safety and protection, Zubiri mentioned a VFA with Japan may even be massively useful in occasions of pure calamities and disasters through the use of the their catastrophe administration coaching and data to assist the Philippines turn out to be a extra resilient nation as properly.
“Given all the benefits we stand to gain from the VFA, I am hopeful that we will be able to begin formal discussions about it soon, and I am pretty certain that we will be able to garner enough support in the Senate for it,” Zubiri mentioned. (PNA)