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Japan, US to increase regional military presence, step up joint exercises

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi pointed out that he and Pete Hegseth had also agreed to step up defense cooperation, including data sharing with allies such as South Korea, Australia and the Philippines

TOKYO, October 29. /TASS/. Tokyo and Washington plan to increase their military presence in the region and step up joint exercises, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said following talks with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth.

"Strengthening the greatest alliance in the world - the Japanese-US alliance - first and foremost requires improving the structure of mutual command, increasing our joint presence [in the Indo-Pacific region] and intensifying drills," he pointed out.

Koizumi stressed that those were the priorities of the Japanese-US alliance that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the US Armed Forces would implement together.

The new Japanese defense chief pointed out that he and Hegseth had also agreed to step up defense cooperation, including data sharing with allies such as South Korea, Australia and the Philippines.

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