Press Releases
Japan-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Telephone Talk
September 17, 2021
On September 17, commencing at 10:30 a.m. for approximately 15 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a telephone talk with Senator the Hon. Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia. The overview of the talk is as follows.
- .At the outset, Minister Payne explained about the Australia–US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) held on 16 September UST and the launch of a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS). In response, Minister MOTEGI welcomed the security cooperation between Australia and the United States and the launch of AUKUS, which both aim to strengthen their engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. Furthermore, the two Ministers confirmed that Japan and Australia will continue their cooperation and collaboration in various ways, including via the Japan-Australia-India-U.S. cooperation and its Leaders’ Summit to be held next week, toward the realization of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
- The two Ministers exchanged their views on the situation in North Korea. In this context, Minister MOTEGI explained that he strongly protested the launch of the ballistic missiles by North Korea as a violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and he added that North Korea’s recent nuclear and missile-related activities threaten the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community. Minister Payne shared the same views. The two Ministers confirmed the close cooperation between Japan and Australia.