(Provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only)
Minister Koizumi: We just concluded the plenary session of the Third Japan Pacific Islands Defense Dialogue (JPIDD), which brought together 28 countries, including Pacific Island countries, partner countries, and ASEAN countries, and one organization. The entire meeting was conducted in a cordial atmosphere, and through frank exchanges of views, we were able to fulfill the purpose of JPIDD, which was to further strengthen trust with defense ministers and others from the Pacific Islands region. At the defense ministerial meetings held this morning with Tonga, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea, Japan and the respective countries concurred to make a Memorandum on Defense Cooperation and Exchanges to further strengthen defense cooperation and exchanges in the future. During the plenary session from this afternoon, I delivered a keynote address and called for strengthening bonds and connectivity and for jointly building an autonomous and resilient region, in order to firmly safeguard together the Pacific Ocean that connects Japan and the Pacific Island countries as the “Ocean of Peace.” To that end, I expressed my determination to strengthen interconnectivity in three fields: “people-to-people,” “crisis response,” and “resilience.” In particular, with regard to people-to-people connectivity, I proposed the “Next Generation Leadership Security Program” as a new initiative, which received broad support from each country. Young and mid-career officials from Pacific Island countries and the PIF Secretariat, which plays a key role in cooperation within the Pacific Islands region, who are expected to be responsible for security policy planning in their respective countries in the future, will be invited to participate in programs hosted by the Ministry of Defense. We believe it will contribute to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening human networks. The plenary session was chaired by State Minister Miyazaki. Under the two themes of “Maritime Security” and “Climate Change and Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR),” which are matters of common interest between Japan and the Pacific Island countries, free and open exchanges of views were conducted, including on the efforts and challenges of participating countries. State Minister Miyazaki, would you like to make any remarks about the meeting?
State Minister Miyazaki: First, with regard to maritime security, countries presented and reported on the situation of protecting the vast ocean with limited human and material resources. Many countries used the word “family,” emphasizing that everyone as a family should work together to protect the ocean. Regarding climate change, it was reiterated that this is no longer an environmental issue but a security issue. In conclusion, I referred to the rugby phrase, “One for all, all for one,” as a metaphor for the direction we should pursue going forward, and many participants nodded in agreement, which I found very striking. That is all from me.
Minister Koizumi: Thank you for the excellent summary. While I would like to say “that is all,” please allow me to continue as I have a few more remarks. State Minister, thank you for your summary. Through this JPIDD meeting, we were able to confirm the bonds or Kizuna that have been fostered and reach a shared commitment to protecting a peaceful Pacific together. Tomorrow, I will take the participants to my hometown of Yokosuka and visit the destroyer JS HYUGA to deepen the understanding of Japan’s disaster response and maritime security initiatives. Pacific Island countries are important partners sharing fundamental values, such as freedom and democracy, as well as the importance of a free and open international order based on the rule of law. Building on today’s meeting, we will continue advancing defense cooperation and exchanges with Pacific Island countries to realize a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.” Lastly, four international students at the National Defense Academy were invited, and the time I spent with them reinforced for me the value and importance of NDA in my hometown. Notably, today, we were joined by General Sura of the Thai Ministry of Defence, who graduated from NDA as the class of 1992, and returned to Japan as a four-star army general. Such people-to-people connections will carry on across generations. I do not know which round of JPIDD it will be by then, but I am sure the four students in attendance today will actively serve as a bridge between Japan and Pacific Island countries in the future. Additionally, with such a large number of participating countries, they have praised Japan’s hospitality and expressed appreciation to all of the secretariat staff who worked hard managing the logistics of this meeting. As Minister, I, too, would like to express my sincere gratitude to the staff members who organized this meeting that was attended by so many countries and a relevant organization. I am truly proud of your work. Thank you very much for your efforts.