Manila, June 7 -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Saturday welcomed the ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) by Japan's National Diet.

In a statement, AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. described the development as a "significant step in advancing bilateral defense cooperation and regional stability."

The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo on Friday announced that the Japanese parliament has finally approved the military access pact.

The deal, Brawner said, lays the foundation for the joint training, humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations between the AFP and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF).

Enabling joint operations between the two forces will help enhance interoperability and coordination i...