Japan's Defence Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, is scheduled to visit Canberra this week for high-level discussions with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles. The meeting, set for Tuesday, will focus on Australia's acquisition of Japan's Mogami-class frigates and broader security cooperation.
This engagement marks the highest-level interaction between the two nations since recent controversy surrounding comments made by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Mr Albanese's remarks on a podcast about a gift of melons from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi led to criticism, though Japan's ambassador to Australia, Kazuhiro Suzuki, later released a statement not raising further issue with Mr Albanese's conduct.
Australia previously agreed in August last year to purchase Japan's Mogami-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. The acquisition involves a planned expenditure of $10bn over a decade for three frigates, with the first delivery anticipated in December 2029.
Mr Koizumi's visit is part of a five-day trip that also includes a stop in India. Mr Marles stated that the visit would "progress efforts to enhance defence cooperation and support our shared commitment to regional security."