ENHANCED DEFENCE AND SECURITY COOPERATION WITH JAPAN

CANBERRA, ACT, May 4 -- The Prime Minister of Australia issued the following media release:

Australia and Japan have agreed next steps to enhance defence and security cooperation, in order to support our shared ambition for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia and Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae of Japan met in Canberra today and issued the Joint Statement on Enhanced Defence and Security Cooperation.

This marks a natural evolution of our already close cooperation with Japan. Building on decades of engagement, the 2022 Australia-Japan Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation, the 2023 Australia-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) and last December's establishment of the Framework for S...