Hanoi (VNA) – ♑The defence ministers of the Philippines and Japan have agreed to enhance security cooperation amid an increasingly complex regional and global environment, while sharing a common stance against any unilateral attempts to alter the global order.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Manila following their meeting, Philippine Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro said they discussed the shared values of a rules-based international order. He stressed the need for a strong partnership between the two nations to prevent any unilateral efforts to change the existing global framework. His Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani said the growing complexity of regional security challenges requires stronger defence cooperation. He noted that the two countries have agreed to initiate negotiations on a security information protection agreement to facilitate intelligence sharing. Additionally, they will establish a strategic dialogue between the Japan Self-Defence Forces and the Philippine military, as well as a high-level framework to advance cooperation in defence equipment and technology. Over the past two years, the two countries have steadily strengthened security ties. Last year, the two nations signed a key military agreement allowing the deployment of forces on each other’s territories./.