July 15, 2022 Talk Between Mr. KANEKO, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and Senior Figures in Australia, and the Establishment of the "Australia-Japan Policy Dialogue for Telecommunications Resilience"

On Thursday, July 14, 2022, Mr. KANEKO visited the Commonwealth of Australia. On Friday, July 15, he had a talk with Hon Ms. Clare O'Neil, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security, Department of Home Affairs, in Melbourne, and with Hon Ms. Michelle Rowland, Minister for Communications, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts in Sydney. They exchanged opinions concerning important policies relating to the information and communications field of Japan and Australia, and agreed upon the establishment of a high-level official policy dialogue in the field of the two countries towards realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Results of the talks with Hon Ms. Clare O'Neil and Hon Ms. Michelle Rowland

Mr. KANEKO exchanged opinions with Ms. O'Neil primarily on support for capacity building in the areas of 5G, telecommunications submarine cables, and cyber security. With Ms. Rowland, he exchanged opinions on areas including 5G utilization and satellite communications, and on cooperation in the framework of ITU (International Telecommunication Union).
The three ministers confirmed that they would reinforce the partnership between Japan and Australia in the field of information and communications towards realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, while also utilizing multinational frameworks, including the Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) framework. Further, the three ministers signed a Joint Statement that includes the establishment of the "Australia-Japan Policy Dialogue for Telecommunications Resilience."

(Outline of the Joint Statement)
Japan and Australia will establish the "Australia-Japan Policy Dialogue for Telecommunications Resilience," a dialogue among the high-level officials of the relevant ministries and departments of Australia and Japan, exchange opinions and hold discussions on a regular basis on shared matters of priority in the field of information and communications, including satellite communications, and aim to create a safe, reliable, and resilient digital environment in the Indo-Pacific region.