Australia, Japan sign landmark defense agreement

Australia and Japan on Thursday signed a treaty to increase defense and security cooperation in a move that has been hailed as “historic”. Prime Ministers Scott Morrison of Australia and Fumio Kishida of Japan met in a virtual summit to sign the agreement, which Morrison said “will underpin greater and more complex practical engagement interoperability and cooperation between the Australian Defense Force and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces."

The Reciprocal Access Agreement is the first such defense pact signed by Japan with any country other than the United States. Morrison said after he signed the document that the relationship between Japan and Australia goes further than security issues.