TOKYO, April 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Us Armed Forces have been granted the right to use military facilities on the Philippines during 10 years, except the right to bring nuclear weapons there. These provisions are included in the new military cooperation treaty between the two countries signed April 28 in Manila. The agreement has been signed within the framework of the starting official visit of US President Barack Obama to Manila, Japanese media reports.

The new treaty envisioning the possibility of prolongation after 10 years gives green light to restoring the American military presence on the Philippines, from where the US Armed Forces were completely withdrawn in 1992 after the public revolution that overthrew the pro-American regime of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The present document is of general nature, since the amounts, characteristics and conditions of US troops’ deployment are to be defined in the course of further consultations.

Recently, the military ties between Washington and Manila were gradually restored and broadened amid the conflict between the Philippines and China over disputable areas in the South China Sea. In particular, American special units were occasionally temporarily sent to southern Philippines, where they assisted to national troops in raids against separatists and terrorists.

It is believed that USA is especially interested in using two bases on the main Philippine island Luzon —Clark Air Base and Naval Base Subic Bay. Until 1992, these strategic facilities were Pentagon’s main strongholds in the region.