Courtesy Call on Prime Minister Ishiba by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (Summary)
On December 10, 2024, commencing at 5:30 pm, for approximately 25 minutes, Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru, received a courtesy call from the Honorable Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense of the U.S. The overview of the courtesy call is as follows.
Prime Minister Ishiba welcomed the visit of Secretary Austin to Japan and expressed gratitude for his past contribution to strengthening the Japan-U.S. Alliance as Secretary of Defense. The Prime Minister also stated that Japan and the U.S. must work together to further strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the alliance, in order to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific amidst the increasingly severe security environment.
Secretary Austin reaffirmed that the importance of the Japan-U.S. Alliance has never been greater than ever. Secretary Austin stated that he wishes to strengthen bilateral coordination to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
Both sides exchanged views on Japan-U.S. security and defense cooperation for strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Alliance, bearing in mind the increasingly severe regional security environment. Both sides concurred to continue efforts for upgrading the command and control of the Alliance, promoting defense equipment and technology cooperation, and strengthening the network of like-minded countries.
