The Philippine Army (PA) and the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) bolstered their bilateral ties during the visit of a high-level JGSDF delegation at the Headquarters Philippine Army, Fort Bonifacio, Metro Manila on April 25, 2023.
The JGSDF delegation led by Maj. Gen. Norimichi Shirakawa, JGSDF Director General for Policy and Plans Department, G5, rendered a courtesy call on Commanding General, Philippine Army (CGPA) Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr., prior to the Army-to-Army conference between the PA and JGSDF top brass.
Lt. Gen. Brawner and JGSDF Chief of Staff Gen. Yasunori Morishita, who is in Japan, then discussed sustaining and bolstering Army-to-Army ties through video-teleconferencing. The two leaders, during the meeting, discussed how the strategic partnership between the two ground forces has strengthened over the years. They also talked about advancing the bilateral cooperation between PA and JGSDF which is anchored on the trilateral Terms of Reference signed by PA, Philippine Marine Corps, and JGSDF representatives on September 2022.
The JGSDF delegation is also set to observe the Combined and Joint Littoral Live-Fire Exercise, the main event of this year’s iteration of Exercise Balikatan which will be held in San Antonio, Zambales on April 26, 2023.