The Hon Pat Conroy MP
21 Nov 24
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The Hon Pat Conroy MP
Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery
Minister for International Development and the Pacific
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Nakatani Gen
Japanese Minister of Defense
Gilberto Teodoro
Philippine Secretary of National Defense
Kim Yong-hyun
Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense
Lloyd Austin III
U.S. Secretary of Defense
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21 November 2024
Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy, Japanese Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen, Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III met together for the first time on November 21 in Vientiane, Lao PDR. The defense leaders underscored their shared commitment to advance a vision for a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, where international law and sovereignty are respected.
The Ministers and Secretaries emphasized the importance of close multilateral cooperation in support of regional security and stability, and underscored the importance of ASEAN centrality and unity and ASEAN-led regional architecture. The leaders highlighted the progress made in strengthening their defense cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to working together moving forward.