Japan and Australia agreed Tuesday to strengthen security
cooperation in UN peacekeeping missions, joint military drills and
other issues, after the two countries' defense ministers met in
Tokyo.
Japanese Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma and his Australian
counterpart Brendan Nelson agreed that Japan will act as an
observer in a US-Australia joint military exercise later this month
in Australia, Kyodo News reported.
The two countries also decided to increase information exchanges
to ensure security in sea lanes and boost cooperation in disaster
relief, as well as to update a 2003 Japan-Australia memorandum of
understanding on defense exchanges.
During their meeting, Kyuma and Nelson discussed ways to
strengthen coordination over anti-terrorism measures and address
issues related with North Korea, the report said.
The two defense chiefs, together with Japanese Foreign Minister
Taro Aso and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, are
scheduled to launch Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue, or
the "two-plus-two" talks, between their countries today.
(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2007)
