THE HON JOEL FITZGIBBON MP
Minister for Defence
Thursday, 18 December 2008
203/2008
AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE MINISTER MEETS
JAPANESE COUNTERPART
The Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, today met with his
counterpart, Japan’s Minister for Defense, Mr Yasukazu Hamada.
Mr Fitzgibbon and Mr Hamada discussed the growing defence and security
relationship between Australia and Japan, and signed a Memorandum on
Defence Cooperation, which updates the 2003 Memorandum on Defence
Exchange.
“The signing of an updated Memorandum is a significant step forward in our
defence relationship. This new Memorandum better reflects our expanding
engagement and opens up new avenues for developing greater practical
defence cooperation between Australia and Japan,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“We are particularly interested in exploring the with Japan Self Defence
Forces greater cooperation in peacekeeping, disaster relief and maritime
security through increased exercising, exchanges of personnel and greater
service to service contacts.
“As longstanding democracies and developed economies, we have a common
cause in working together to maintain stability and security in the Asia-Pacific
region and further abroad. I am confident that the Memorandum we signed
today will provide a strong basis for this cooperation.”
Recent defence activities include the July 2008 participation, for the first time,
of a Japan Maritime Self Defense destroyer in the Australian-hosted
multinational naval Exercise KAKADU, and the visit of two Japanese P3-C
aircraft to Australia for a goodwill exchange and exercising.
Mr Fitzgibbon is in Japan for a series of engagements, including meetings
with Japanese Prime Minister Taso Aso and the annual Australia-Japan
Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue, known as the 2+2 meeting.
Media contacts:
Jack Smith (Joel Fitzgibbon):
02 6277 7800 or 0408 116 423
Defence Media Liaison:
02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664
NEWS 
