Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following release:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III concluded his twelfth official visit to the Indo-Pacific today. During his trip, Secretary Austin participated in the Australia-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Defense Ministers' Meeting, attended the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Plus, conducted meetings with regional counterparts, and held engagements with Fijian leaders. At each stop, he announced concrete steps that the United States is taking with allies and partners to strengthen deterrence and advance unprecedented cooperation in the region.
在澳大利亚，奥斯丁会见了澳大利亚副总理理查德·马勒斯和日本防卫大臣中谷元，举行了具有历史意义的三边国防部长会议。他们宣布了扩大三国合作规模和范围、加强地区军力态势的倡议。值得注意的是，从2025年起，日本将通过澳大利亚国防军、日本陆上自卫队两栖快速部署旅和美国海军陆战队-达尔文轮换部队在澳大利亚北部和印度太平洋地区的年度三边两栖训练，增加参与美澳部队态势合作活动，从“护身术-佩刀2025”演习开始。除了与马勒斯副总理和中谷部长举行双边会晤外，三位官员还参观了澳大利亚皇家达尔文空军基地（RAAF-D），在那里他们强调了他们正在共同采取的决定性步骤，以实现印度-太平洋地区的持久和平与安全。
Secretary Austin then met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr in the Philippines. Together, they reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Philippines alliance as well as their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. While there, Secretary Austin participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new bilateral Combined Coordination Center (CCC) and signed a General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), both of which will increase information flow and deepen interoperability. He also visited an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site in the Philippines island of Palawan, where U.S. and Philippine troops work side by side, to observe an unmanned surface vessel demonstration that reinforced efforts to modernize our alliance capabilities.
Secretary Austin traveled to Laos where he participated in the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Plus and met with regional counterparts. He delivered plenary remarks and announced the first-ever Department of Defense Vision Statement for a Prosperous and Secure Southeast Asia that details ways to increase practical cooperation between the United States and Southeast Asia. He also announced the second-ever ASEAN-United States Maritime Exercise in 2025 to advance maritime safety and rule of law in the region. During his meetings, Secretary Austin emphasized the U.S. commitment to strengthen security in Southeast Asia through unwavering support for ASEAN centrality. On the margins of ADMM Plus, Secretary Austin convened the first-ever meeting with defense leaders from Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the Republic of Korea to discuss their shared commitment to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, where international law and sovereignty are respected.
Secretary Austin's final stop in Fiji marked the first-ever visit to the Pacific nation by a U.S. Secretary of Defense. He met with key leaders including Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa, as well as Acting Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Filimoni Vosarogo and Chief of Defence Force Major General Jone Kalouniwai. While there, Secretary Austin signed an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) and announced initiation of negotiations on a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to promote increased cooperation between the United States and Fiji.
Secretary Austin's nine-day trip to the Indo-Pacific came as the Department of Defense continues to achieve historic results with allies and partners to strengthen peace, stability, and deterrence in the region.
