Japanese, Australian Defense Ministers discuss cooperation, Indo-Pacific

Tokyo: Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles met with his Japanese counterpart, Nobuo Kishi, in Tokyo on Wednesday to discuss a wide range of issues, including the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, security in the Indo-Pacific region and avenues for closer cooperation for the second time in a week.
“In today’s meeting we had comprehensive and in-depth discussions regarding regional affairs. We once again shared our recognition of the situation in Ukraine, as I said earlier, and shared the view on strong opposition to unilateral change of status quo, and attempts to do so in the East and South China Seas, as well as reconfirmed the importance of free national maritime orders based on the rule of law,” the Japanese defense minister said at a press conference after the meeting.
Kishi also stressed that Tokyo views Canberra as its “special strategic partner” and seeks to continue bilateral coordination for “a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Marles, in turn, noted that both meetings with Kishi gave him “a very positive impression” from the closeness and depth of cooperation between Australia and Japan.
“It is clear that our region faces the most complex set of strategic circumstances we have known since the end of the Second World War; what nations of the region do now matters,” Marles said.
Both ministers reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to enhancing regional engagement in defense cooperation.
The previous meeting of the two defense ministers took place last Sunday on the sidelines of IISS Asia Security Conference (Shangri-La Dialogue) in Singapore. (UNI/SPUTNIK)

#Indo-Pacefic #Quad, #South China Sea