Washington, Oct 12 — The United States and Japan agreed on Monday to strengthen coordination with partners, including India, while advancing cooperation on maritime security, critical minerals and strategic infrastructure during their second Free and Open Indo-Pacific dialogue in Tokyo.
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker met Japanese Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Hiroyuki Namazu for discussions that marked the 10th anniversary of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, according to the State Department.
The two countries agreed to advance coordination through several groupings, including the Japan–Australia–India–US partnership, alongside arrangements involving South Korea and the Philippines, according to a Japanese statement.
India did not participate in Monday’s bilateral dialogue. The reference to the four-country grouping appeared in Japan’s account of the meeting.
The Japanese readout said the officials compared their approaches to the region and agreed to pursue concrete initiatives that would strengthen resilience and help countries retain the freedom to make their own decisions.
Namazu explained Japan’s updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific approach, announced by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in May, the ministry said.
The State Department said the two sides noted close alignment between US priorities and Japan’s updated vision. They committed to translating that alignment into results for their own populations and the wider Indo-Pacific region.
Hooker and Namazu discussed aligning foreign assistance behind strategic infrastructure in priority countries. The US account identified the Luzon Economic Corridor in the Philippines and the Japan–US Mekong Power Partnership among the initiatives discussed, the statement said.
The officials also agreed to coordinate security assistance more closely, particularly support for maritime security and maritime domain awareness in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
Their economic-security discussions covered critical-mineral supply chains, deep-sea mineral development, digital connectivity and energy security, according to the State Department.
The US release described a review of progress across those areas. It did not announce funding amounts, new contracts or a timetable for particular projects.
On regional security, the officials discussed closer cooperation with allies and partners and welcomed Japan’s growing cooperation with NATO, the State Department said. They also noted progress in bilateral defence-industrial cooperation.
Both official accounts said the United States and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea and the immediate resolution of the abductions issue.
Japan’s account also recorded discussions on two sensitive bilateral matters that were not detailed in the US release.
Namazu reiterated his government’s position on a robbery-murder incident in Okinawa, following an October 10 telephone conversation between Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The ministry said consultations would continue.
He also conveyed Japan’s position on recent US sanctions concerning the International Criminal Court. The Japanese readout said the two sides agreed to maintain close communication, but did not describe a resolution of the issue.