Japan, Australia vow support for S. Korea over ship sinking

+

TOKYO, May 19 Kyodo -
Japan and Australia reaffirmed Wednesday that they will offer support to South
Korea over the deadly sinking of the country's warship before the scheduled
release Thursday of results of an international investigation into the March
incident, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said.
During a meeting of foreign and defense ministers in Tokyo, the two countries
also agreed the U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region ''remains
indispensable'' and that they should deepen cooperation with their ally the
United States on regional security strategies in a trilateral framework for
dialogue, he said.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told a joint press conference that
Tokyo and Canberra share concern over the March 26 sinking of the 1,200-ton
patrol ship Cheonan in the Yellow Sea and that the two countries are awaiting
an ''objective and scientific report'' on the matter.
South Korea is set to announce Thursday morning the outcome of the
multinational investigation into the incident. Australia has dispatched three
experts to help South Korean maritime investigators probe the cause of the
case.
The ship sank near the maritime border with North Korea after an unexplained
explosion, claiming the lives of 46 sailors. A North Korean torpedo attack is
strongly suspected in the incident, but Pyongyang denies involvement.
Smith called the incident a ''great concern in North Asia and to our region
generally.''
The Australian foreign minister also said, ''We strongly share the view that
the United States' ongoing active engagement in the Asia-Pacific region is very
important to peace and security in our part of the world.''
The two countries made reference to the presence of U.S. forces in the region,
at a time when the thorny issue of where to relocate a U.S. Marine base in
Okinawa is viewed as casting a shadow over the Japan-U.S. security alliance.
Following the so-called two-plus-two meeting, Japan and Australia signed a
bilateral defense logistics accord that will enable Japan's Self-Defense Forces
and the Australian military to share food, fuel and other supplies during
operations.
The so-called acquisition and cross-servicing agreement will also allow the SDF
and the Australian military to mutually provide transportation, accommodation,
maintenance and health services.
The ACSA will be effective in cases such as joint drills, U.N. peacekeeping
operations, international humanitarian operations and disaster relief
activities. Australia is the second country with which Japan has signed such an
accord, after the United States.
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told the news conference that the pact will
''form the basis of close defense cooperation'' between the two countries,
while his Australian counterpart John Faulkner lauded the accord as being
''symbolic of a new stage in our bilateral defense relationship.''
Faulkner said the ACSA would ''reduce complexities which could delay our
coordination of assistance'' in responding to major disasters.
Okada brushed off the view that strengthened Japan-Australia security ties
could trigger security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region, including in China,
saying the ACSA will only be effective in situations such as peacekeeping and
disaster relief activities.
As part of bilateral security cooperation, the ministers also agreed that the
two countries will accelerate talks to sign a pact to ensure the security of
information exchanges concerning military affairs and antiterrorism efforts.
Japan has signed an accord on the general security of military information only
with the United States.
The two countries also agreed in the meeting to continue to work closely on
efforts to promote nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, according to Okada
and Smith.
During talks between the two foreign ministers prior to the two-plus-two
meeting, Japan and Australia remained apart over whaling but agreed to make
sure that differences over the issue will not adversely affect their strategic
bilateral relationship in economic, political and security areas, a Japanese
official said.
Australia warned earlier this year that it would resort to international legal
action unless Japan ceases whaling in the Antarctic Ocean by November.
The two countries also agreed to strive to push forward bilateral negotiations
to sign a free trade agreement and recognized the need to explore the
architecture of regional cooperation in the future, the official said.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has proposed establishing an ''East
Asian community'' to integrate economic and other sectors, while Australian
premier Kevin Rudd has advocated an ''Asia-Pacific community'' that would have
a broad membership including the United States.
The two-plus-two talks were the third between the two countries since they were
established in June 2007 and the first since the Hatoyama government was
launched last September.
Australia is the second country, after the United States, with which Japan has
established this framework for dialogue.
==Kyodo