PH, Japan House chiefs to intensify defense ties

HOUSE Speaker Martin Romualdez and Japan's Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga vowed to improve the defense and security cooperation between the two countries and expand the trilateral cooperation with the United States during their meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday.

«Our relationship is at an all-time high with the recent signing not just of the trilateral agreement, but of our relationship, of our strategic partnership,» Romualdez said during their meeting, according to a press release from the Philippine House chief's office.

«We thank the Japanese government and the people of Japan for all the support and the assistance through the ODA [Official Development Assistance] and now through our official security agreement,» he added.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Tuesday met with his Japanese counterpart, Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga, in Tokyo where they committed to supporting their respective governments' efforts to sustain and enhance the momentum of their bilateral relations. Photo from House of Representatives of the Philippines

Speaker Nukaga said he was «very glad» that the Philippines and Japan have «very good bilateral relations.»

He said that his country and the Philippines share the same values and that collaborating on many areas, such as defense and security, was important.

Nukaga said that because he headed the Japan Defense Agency twice, he truly understood the «importance of collaboration between countries» that share the same values.

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He said that for him, security, protecting and upholding democracy, and securing the international order should be based on the «rule of law.»

Japan Vice Speaker Banri Kaieda and Japan House of Representatives International Affairs Department Director General Yamamoto Hironori joined the meeting.

Also among those who joined the meeting were House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David Suarez, House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Elizaldy Co, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco, and House Sergeant-at-Arms Napoleon Taas.

In the meeting, Romualdez noted the continuing improvements in the Philippines-Japan defense and