(Press release)
March 19, 2026
Ministry of Defense
The Japan Ministry of Defense convened a policy seminar in Tokyo on March 11, 2026. The deputy director-general and director-level officials and officers from four countries, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, and the United States participated. This is the first occasion on which working-level officials from the defense authorities of the four countries convene to conduct a policy seminar. From Japan’s Ministry of Defense, Mr. Matsuo Tomoki, Deputy Director-General of the Defense Policy Bureau, participated.
The participants engaged in in-depth discussions with regard to the direction of cooperation and coordination to enhance deterrence among the four countries, taking into account a range of security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
Under the increasingly severe security environment, it is indispensable to collaborate with the four countries for peace and stability in the region. Japan Ministry of Defense will continue to optimize various opportunities to further strengthen the cooperation and enhance deterrence.
Japan-Australia-Philippines-United States Officials’ policy seminar.pdf