Japan, US Dms Agree On Close Coop.

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) TOKYO, Jan 31 (KUNA) -- Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and new US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Friday agreed to bilaterally cooperate to realize the vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, Japan's Defense Ministry said.
During their first phone talks since Hegseth took the office last week, the two ministers affirmed their firm intent to continue the initiatives to reinforce the Japan-US alliance, including the upgrading of respective command and control framework and expansion of bilateral presence in the southwestern Japanese region, the ministry said in press release.
Nakatani and Hegseth also reaffirmed that the bilateral security treaty's Article 5 applies to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, it said.
While congratulating Hegseth on his appointment, Nakatani said he looks forward to working with Hegseth to further strengthen the Japan-US alliance capabilities to deter and respond amid the increasingly severe security environment in the Indo-Pacific, according to the ministry.
In addition, the ministers expressed their willingness to meet in person at the earliest possible time. (end)
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