On June 1, Defense Minister Kishi received a courtesy call from Admiral John Aquilino, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. They confirmed that cooperation between the Japan Self Defense Forces and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is important to maintain and strengthen a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.” They also confirmed that the two countries will continue to closely work together to further reinforce the Alliance’s capabilities to deter and respond, given the increasingly severe security environment in the region.
