Arab News Japan 

TOKYO: Japan and Australia agreed to cooperate on ensuring COVID-19 vaccine availability globally and to help ASEAN countries implement their agreement in Myanmar.

In a telephone talk held on June 9, Japanese Foreign Minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu and Senator Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia, exchanged their views on the situation in Myanmar. They concurred that it is important for Japan and Australia to continue to support ASEAN’s efforts to realize the “Five-Point Consensus,” adopted by the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting.

The talks were in the lead up to the Ninth Japan-Australia Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations.

Concerning COVID-19 vaccines, the two ministers confirmed that it is important to ensure equitable access to vaccines throughout the world. They concurred that Japan and Australia will collaborate and share the efforts in the region, while bringing out the strengths of both countries, through means such as the COVAX Facility.

Australian Foreign Minister Payne offered the view that the novel coronavirus pandemic is making it difficult to solve regional security challenges.

International order faces major challenges, such as attempts to change the status quo by force, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi said at the start of the talks, apparently having China in mind.

This was the ninth two-plus-two meeting between Japan and Australia– the previous meeting was held in October 2018.

Besides Motegi and Payne, Japanese Defense Minister KISHI Nobuo and his Australian counterpart, Peter Dutton, took part in Wednesday’s meeting.

*With JIJI Press