Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP and Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne will visit Japan on 19 and 20 April to advance Australia’s relationship with our closest strategic partner in Asia and one of our most important economic partners.
Ministers will participate in the seventh Australia-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting with Japanese counterparts, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense Minister Tomomi Inada.
The 2+2 meeting will continue our close dialogue and cooperation on key regional security and economic issues, including the concerning rhetoric and actions of the North Korean regime. We will discuss further deepening of our defence engagement and cooperation, in keeping with our shared interests in a stable, open and peaceful Indo-Pacific and a rules-based global order.
Ministers will also meet senior members of parliament and foreign policy and security experts to discuss developments in the bilateral relationship and in the region.
Minister Bishop will meet Minister Kishida to discuss developments in the bilateral relationship and in the region, and ways to further cooperate in meeting regional and global challenges.
Minister Payne will also meet Minister Inada to discuss the bilateral defence relationship in detail, including opportunities to further deepen cooperation in the future, both bilaterally and trilaterally with the United States.
The Australia-Japan Special Strategic Partnership, declared in 2014, is a vital pillar of our bilateral relationship. It is fundamentally important to both countries’ strategic interests, and is underpinned by our shared values.