Kono briefs Australia on possible SDF Middle East mission

October 26, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono has explained to his Australian counterpart, Linda Reynolds, Japan's possible dispatch of Maritime Self-Defense Force ships to the Middle East for securing sea lane safety.

Kono held talks on the phone on Friday with the defense minister of the Oceanian country, which has pledged to send patrol planes and vessels to join a U.S.-led coalition for safeguarding Middle East seaways.

"We talked about sharing information between the two countries' troops," Kono told reporters after the talks.

On Thursday, Kono had a series of telephone talks with the defense chiefs of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, which have also pledged to join the U.S.-led coalition. Kono told the officials that Japan plans to provide them with information when deploying Self-Defense Forces. Jiji Press