DND ASec. Torralba (seated; 5th from L) joins other Heads of delegations to the TDF (Photo: M. Lucman)

Assistant Secretary for Assessments and International Affairs (ASAIA) Teodoro Cirilo T. Torralba III of the Department of National Defense joined officials from 29 other countries at the 22nd Tokyo Defense Forum (TDF) hosted by the Government of Japan at the Hotel Chinsanzo in Tokyo from 26 to 29 March 2018.

The Philippine Delegation included Political Officer/Minister Josel F. Ignacio of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, Defense and Armed Forces Attaché to Japan Col. Noel Z. Plaza, Embassy Political Section Assistant Mahabsar B. Lucman and DND-OASIA official Ms. Patricia Jison.

Also attending the Forum were defense and military officials from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, China, Fiji, France, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, U.K., U.S., and Vietnam. Representatives from the EU, ASEAN Secretariat, and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were also present. The Forum was chaired by Mr. Osamu IZAWA, Director-General for International Affairs of Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

Established in 1996, the TDF is an annual meeting geared toward promoting policy discussions and enhancing mutual understanding and trust among the defense authorities participating countries.

(Photo: Mr. Lucman)

The Forum also provides opportunities for bilateral consultations between and among delegations. In the course of the Forum, Assistant Secretary Torralba met with various counterparts, including from Japan, on cooperation initiatives. END

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For more information, contact: The Embassy of the Philippines in Tokyo <Feedback Form> or visit <http://tokyo.philembassy.net/> and <https://www.dfa.gov.ph)

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