Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued the following statement today after Japan and the Republic of Korea announced new agreements to strengthen their bilateral defense relationship, including measures to support operational safety and lines of communication:
"I welcome this important announcement by Japan and the Republic of Korea, and I applaud the historic leadership by Minister Kihara and Minister Shin. Stronger bilateral cooperation between each of our countries helps advance trilateral cooperation among all of our countries. I look forward to meeting with Minister Kihara and Minister Shin in Singapore to further our momentum in support of the new era of trilateral partnership inaugurated at the Camp David Summit in August 2023."
