Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Australia's Penny Wong met in Tokyo on Tuesday to reaffirm cooperation toward a free and open Indo-Pacific amid a severe security environment. The first in-person talks since last October preceded next Monday's prime ministers' summit and covered defense and economic security.
Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Australia's Penny Wong held roughly 40-minute talks in Tokyo on Tuesday, agreeing to enhance cooperation in defense and economic security, Tokyo's Foreign Ministry said.
The ministers discussed developments in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East, reaffirming coordination on challenges such as ensuring free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. They underscored the importance of stable supplies of energy and critical materials to the Asia-Pacific amid ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran tensions.
At the start, Motegi said Japan and Australia are "central partners among like-minded nations and are expected to further advance cooperation across a wide range of fields." Wong noted that bilateral relations "have never been more strategically aligned."
The FOIP initiative, first proposed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2016, promotes rule of law, free trade, and regional stability. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Japan-Australia Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. The meeting precedes next Monday's summit between Prime Ministers Sanae Takaichi and Anthony Albanese, with Japan's trade and economic security ministers also involved.
