Oceania
Japan-Australia Summit Meeting
September 24, 2014
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
On September 24 (Wednesday), commencing at 1:22 p.m. (0:22 a.m. on September 25 (Thursday) JST) for approximately 50 minutes, Mr. Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister, who was on his visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, held a Japan-Australia summit meeting with the Hon. Tony Abbott, Prime Minister of Australia. The outline of the meeting is as follows:
1. Opening
(1) Prime Minister Abe expressed his gratitude for his visit to Australia last July. In response to this, Prime Minister Abbott stated that he welcomed Prime Minister Abe as an important friend of Australia.
(2) Prime Minister Abe explained the “World Assembly for Women in Tokyo (WAW! Tokyo 2014)” held this month and Prime Minister Abbot appreciated Prime Minister Abe’s initiatives.
2. Bilateral relations
(1) In terms of security and defence cooperation, Prime Minister Abe stated that he would like to commence coordination between the two countries an agreement facilitating joint operations and exercises as early as possible.
(2) The two leaders discussed the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement and confirmed to seek early into force of the EPA. , The two leaders also confirmed that the two countries would continue collaboration for the early conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
3. Regional situations and cooperation in an international arena
(1) Concerning the situation in Iraq, Prime Minister Abbott explained Australia's additional contribution to the efforts by the international society to oppose against the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)". Prime Minister Abe explained Japan's additional support of approximately 25.5 million US dollars for that purpose.
(2) The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of trilateral cooperation such as Japan- Australia-U.S. and Japan-Australia-India cooperation.
(3) In addition, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of collaboration between the two counties in the Pacific region.
(4) Prime Minister Abe introduced the Seventh Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM7) to be held in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, next May and the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to be held in Sendai City next March. In response, Prime Minister Abbott stated that he appreciated Japan's efforts.