(Provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only)
I would like to provide an overall summary of the Japan-U.S.-ROK Trilateral Ministerial Meeting (TMM) and my attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue (IISS Asia Security Summit). I just held a Japan-U.S.-ROK TMM with U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin and Minister of National Defense Shin of the ROK. At the meeting, we exchanged views on the situation in the Korean Peninsula and other issues, and concurred on three items: to conduct a new, multi-domain trilateral exercise this summer; to conduct a trilateral tabletop exercise (TTX) to discuss regional security challenges; and to institutionalize trilateral security cooperation, including policy consultations and trilateral exercises. This concludes all the scheduled activities of my visit to Singapore. At the Shangri-La Dialogue, I delivered a speech on the theme of “Cross-Regional Security Order Challenges” on the afternoon of June 1. In my speech, I emphasized that, as the destabilization of regions across the world becomes evident, it is in the common interest of the international community to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and Japan will stand at the forefront of these efforts. Furthermore, on this occasion, I held individual meetings on the margins with China, France, Qatar, the ROK, Singapore, Fiji, the Netherlands, Ukraine, the U.S., New Zealand, Lithuania, and Canada. In addition to holding individual meetings with their respective defense ministers and other officials, I held a Japan-U.S.-ROK TMM and the first TMM among Japan, Australia, and the ROK. In two days, I held 14 bilateral meetings as well as talks with the respective ministers at various places. I feel that this was a very intensive and meaningful visit.