Japan to help Philippines, Myanmar foster military personnel

TOKYO -- Japan's Ministry of Defense will begin assisting Myanmar and the Philippines with training military personnel in disaster relief and maritime security by March 2015.

     The ministry, hoping to boost bilateral ties, will dispatch members of the Self-Defens

e Forces to teach military members in the two countries about rescue operations, reconstruction work and other activities. The move is part of Japan's efforts to strengthen security cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the face of China's rising maritime presence in the region.

     In addition to dispatching SDF members, the ministry will invite military personnel from the two countries to visit Japan for instruction in such areas as road and public facility maintenance, underwater rescue and marine chart drawing.

     In the Philippines, the ministry plans to hold seminars on aircraft maintenance and inspection procedures and safety management.

     As for Myanmar, because the country has suffered severe damage from cyclones and other weather-related disasters, the ministry is considering offering assistance in meteorological analysis and other areas.

     Defense ministers from Japan and ASEAN will hold their first meeting on Nov. 19 in Bagan, central Myanmar. This is in line with the framework Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid out at the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit Meeting last December.

     Japan and ASEAN members are expected to discuss mainly nontraditional security areas, such as disaster relief, maritime security and the SDF's capacity-building assistance. © Provided by asia.nikkei.com

(Nikkei)