"US and Japan Plan Second '2+2 Security Meeting' Within the Year"

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken (left) and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi are holding a bilateral meeting in London, UK, on May 3 (local time) during the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The United States and Japan are expected to hold the '2+2' security talks, involving both foreign and defense ministers, once again within this year.

According to Kyodo News, Takeo Akiba, Director of Japan's National Security Secretariat, who is visiting the U.S., met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the 10th (local time) and agreed to mutually cooperate to hold the Security Consultative Committee between the two countries within the year.

Director Akiba and Secretary Austin also reaffirmed their shared position to closely cooperate in strengthening the deterrence of the U.S.-Japan alliance.

The two also exchanged views on the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, including the East and South China Seas.

It is reported that they discussed measures to maintain and strengthen a free and open Indo-Pacific, in which the U.S. and Japan coordinate their efforts.

Earlier, on the 9th, during his first visit to the U.S. since taking office last month, Director Akiba met consecutively with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to discuss current issues such as North Korea's denuclearization, trilateral cooperation among the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, and responses to China.

The U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee, involving foreign and defense ministers, was first held in Tokyo in March this year since the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration.

At that meeting, the U.S. side was represented by Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Defense Austin, while Japan was represented by Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.