(Provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only)
Today, I held the Japan-Philippines, the Japan-India, and the Japan-Brunei Defense Ministerial Meetings. At the Japan-Philippines Defense Ministerial Meeting, I welcomed great progress in Japan-Philippine defense cooperation and exchanges made under Secretary Teodoro’s leadership. We also affirmed that we will continue to reinforce the Japan-Philippines defense cooperation and exchanges based on the Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement, which was signed this July, towards maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law. Next, at the Japan-India Defense Ministerial Meeting, we confirmed that we will further develop the defense cooperation and exchanges between Japan and India under the leadership of Minister Singh and I. I also welcomed that the Memorandum of Implementation for the transfer of Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) was signed. Moreover, we concurred on sending messages together that unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force cannot be tolerated. At the Japan-Brunei Defense Ministerial Meeting, I welcomed that defense cooperation and exchanges have been implemented based on the Memorandum of Cooperation on Defense Cooperation and Exchanges, signed last year. I also confirmed the importance of further developing the defense cooperation and exchanges with Brunei, which is also located in a strategically important region, such as critical sea lanes. On the occasion of the ADMM-Plus, I have held meetings with the defense ministers of the U.S., Australia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea (ROK) multilaterally, and with the ROK, China, New Zealand, Laos, the Philippines, India, and Brunei bilaterally over the past two days. These were deeply meaningful meetings in which I exchanged candid views with the countries on regional security issues and agreed to further strengthen defense cooperation and exchanges with ally and like-minded countries. The Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces intend to continue to work actively toward the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” by further strengthening the ASEAN-led framework and cooperation with like-minded countries in the region.