Singapore: Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, signed on Sunday a memorandum of understanding on simplifying procedures for joint research on defense equipment.

The signing took place at their meeting in Singapore.

Australia is the second country to have such a deal with Japan, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.

Hamada said that Japan wants to promote cooperation with Australia on advanced technologies. Marles said that Japan is an essential partner for Australia.

The ministers also affirmed stepped-up defense cooperation partly through joint exercises based on the bilateral reciprocal access agreement, which serves as a legal basis for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the Australian military when they operate in each other’s country.

JIJI Press