(Press Release)
December 9, 2021
Japan Ministry of Defense
Japan-Canada Defense Ministers’ Video Teleconference
On December 9, 2021, Minister KISHI held a video teleconference with Minister of National Defence of Canada, the Hon Anita Anand.
1 At the outset of the meeting, Minister Kishi congratulated Minister Anand on her appointment, and Minister Anand expressed her appreciation.
2 The two ministers exchanged views on regional security issues and reaffirmed their continued close cooperation to maintain and promote the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific region. Regarding the East China Sea and the South China Sea, they expressed their will to strongly oppose any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by coercion, and any activities that escalate tensions. They also concurred in sending a clear message that a free and open maritime order based on the rule of law is important.
3 The ministers shared the view that the repeated launches of ballistic missiles by North Korea pose a serious challenge to the international community as a whole. Minister Kishi expressed that he highly valued Canada’s continued deployment of its assets for monitoring and surveillance activities against illicit maritime activities including North Korea’s illegal ship-to-ship transfers. The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to closely coordinating toward the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of all of North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile of all ranges, including collaboration on responses against ship-to-ship transfers.
4 The ministers affirmed they would continue to vigorously promote bilateral defense cooperation and exchanges to uphold and reinforce the Free and Open Indo-Pacific while maintaining close communication between respective defense authorities.
5 In closing, Minister Anand extended an invitation to Minister Kishi to visit Canada when the COVID-19 travel restrictions have subsided.