Japan-Australia Relations
Japan-Australia Foreign Ministers' Meeting
July 7, 2022
On July 7, commencing at 8:40 p.m. local time (On July 7, at 9:40 p.m. JST) for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who was visiting Bali, Indonesia to attend the G20 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting, held a meeting with Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the outset, Foreign Minister HAYASHI stated that he was glad to see Foreign Minister Wong again since May this year. He also expressed his willingness to work closely with Foreign Minister Wong to further strengthen the "Special Strategic Partnership" between Japan and Australia and to realize a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific," as the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region becomes more challenging.
- The two ministers concurred to continue to steadily strengthen security and defense cooperation between Japan and Australia. While discussing coordination among like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region in light of the situation in Ukraine, the two ministers concurred on the importance of ensuring U.S. engagement to the region and confirmed coordination through cooperative efforts among Japan, Australia and the U.S. as well as among Japan, Australia, India and the U.S. Furthermore, the two ministers shared the view on the significance of coordination with Europe.
- The two ministers also exchanged views on the situation in the Pacific Islands region and concurred to deepen bilateral coordination.
- The two ministers confirmed to continue to coordinate in responding to North Korea, including the nuclear and missile issues and the abductions issue, as well as in strengthening the functions of the entire United Nations, including Security Council reform.
- The two ministers had a frank discussion on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership [TPP11] from a strategic perspective and shared the view to continue to work closely together.