Japan and Australia Tuesday signed a joint declaration on
strategic security cooperation, vowing to strengthen ties in
security and defense issues.
The declaration was signed later in the day by Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe and Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who
is on a four-day tour in Japan starting Sunday.
In the joint declaration, the two countries pledge to coordinate
policies over counter-terrorism, nuclear nonproliferation, and the
Korean peninsula nuclear issue, and will have closer cooperation on
UN peacekeeping operations.
According to the declaration, Japan and Australia will establish
measures in an action plan for joint efforts on disaster relief and
humanitarian assistance, maritime and aviation security, and
fighting against international crimes.
The two prime ministers also agreed to organize regular meetings
between defense and foreign ministers from the two sides under the
framework of "two-plus-two" security talks.
With the issuance of the joint declaration, Australia became the
one after the United States to conclude a security cooperation
framework with Japan.
To build up all-around strategic partnership with Australia is
an important step toward the realization of the overall diplomatic
arrangement of Abe, who proposed shortly after taking office in
September that Japan and the United States should strengthen ties
with Australia and India.
Analysts said Abe also intended to use the newborn declaration
to appease criticism over his administration's excessive dependence
on the United States.
During an exclusive interview with Australian journalists in his
official residence on Monday, Abe stressed that the declaration
between Japan and Australia will not be aimed at China.
(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2007)
