Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japanese Defense Minister NAKATANI Gen met with ASEAN and other regional defense ministers in Vientiane on Thursday to underscore their “shared commitment to advance a vision for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific, where international law and sovereignty are respected,” Japan’s Ministry of Defense reported.

Nakatani is visiting the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos to attend the ADMM-Plus meeting. The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its dialogue partners to strengthen security and defense cooperation for peace, stability and development in the region.

Nakatani met with Australian Minister for Defense Pat Conroy, Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, South Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun and United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

It is the first-ever defense ministers’ meeting between these five countries.

The statement by Japan’s Ministry of Defense said, “The collaboration with allies and like-minded countries is indispensable for regional peace and stability under the increasingly severe security environment. Japan’s Ministry of Defense will continue to optimize various opportunities to further strengthen cooperation.”

The ministers emphasized the importance of close multilateral cooperation in support of regional security and stability. The leaders highlighted the progress made in strengthening their defense cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to working together moving forward.