(Provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only)
I would like to report on the Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Defense Ministers’ Meeting and the Japan-U.S.-ROK Trilateral Ministerial Meeting (TMM). Today, commencing at 8:50 a.m., I held the Japan-ROK Defense Ministers’ Meeting with ROK Minister of National Defense Shin for approximately 30 minutes. Then, commencing at 9:45 a.m., I held the Japan-U.S.-ROK TMM with U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin and Minister of National Defense Shin for approximately an hour. Firstly, at the Japan-ROK Defense Ministers’ Meeting, we shared the recognition that Japan-ROK and Japan-U.S.-ROK defense cooperation is becoming increasingly important as the security environment surrounding the two countries becomes more severe. We also concurred on advancing concrete efforts to revitalize defense cooperation and exchanges between Japan and the ROK. At the first Japan-U.S.-ROK TMM held in Japan, we signed the Memorandum of Cooperation on the Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework. This memorandum institutionalizes the trilateral security cooperation by prescribing, in writing, that the three countries will continue to engage in policy consultations, joint exercises, and other activities, which have been conducted in an ad hoc manner to date. In addition, the three countries agreed to hold the Japan-U.S.-ROK TMM in the ROK next year. Amidst the extremely severe security environment, the Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces intend to further deepen Japan-ROK and Japan-U.S.-ROK cooperation, as well as such cooperation as part of broader multilateral defense cooperation, going forward.