Japanese State Minister of Defense and the highest-ranking 4-star General visited Palau to enhance security cooperation
2022/8/10
State Minister of Defense of Japan Hon. ONIKI Makoto, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff of Japan Self-Defense Forces Mr. YAMAZAKI Koji and their delegation members from Ministry of Defense visited Palau on 8-9 August 2022.
Hon. Oniki is a member of Japanese Diet and State Minister of Defense, the second highest rank official of Ministry of Defense since October 2021. Also, he has been Chief Secretary of the Japan-Palau Parliamentary Friendship Association for many years. General Yamazaki is the highest-ranking 4-star General and the head of the Joint Staff supervising Japanese Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces. It is the first time ever in history that State Minister of Defense and Chief of Staff made an official visit to Palau.
On August 8, 2022, State Minister Oniki and General Yamazaki paid a courtesy call on Vice President and Minister of Justice Hon. J. Uduch Sengebau Senior. State Minister Oniki expressed that he was delighted to be the first State Minister of Defense to visit the Republic of Palau. Referring to the Indo-Pacific Deployment Unit, which visited Palau for the second consecutive year and invited many government officials including President Whipps on board, State Minister Oniki conveyed that he was pleased that the defense exchanges between the two countries are steadily deepening. The two sides exchanged views on the security environment in the Pacific Islands region and confirmed to continue cooperating closely to maintain and strengthen Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
Followed by the courtesy call, State Minister Oniki and General Yamazaki visited the Joint Operation Center of Ministry of Justice and received an overview of the activities at the Joint Operation Center.
On August 9, State Minister Oniki and General Yamazaki visited Peleliu. State Minister Oniki and General Yamazaki together with Ambassador of Japan KARASAWA Akira laid wreathes at the Monument of the War Dead in the Western Pacific and the U.S. Army 81st Infantry Division Memorial, consoling the souls of the war dead and praying for peace.