Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his New Zealand counterpart, Christopher Luxon, confirmed on Wednesday that their countries have reached a substantive agreement on an information security agreement, which will allow the sharing of classified information.
The two leaders, who met in Tokyo, also agreed to step up discussions to initiate talks on a bilateral acquisition and cross-service agreement to facilitate the exchange of supplies between the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the New Zealand Army.
Kishida told a joint press conference with Luxon that he expects Japan and New Zealand to strengthen their security and defense ties.
Luxon said he hopes to work with Japan to address serious issues in the region.
The two leaders recognized the importance of communication with Australia and South Korea to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.
They also agreed to work together at a summit of Pacific island nations that Japan will host next month.
Luxon has released a statement saying that New Zealand company Fabrum will supply Toyota Motor with its own liquid hydrogen storage system.
In the statement, Luxon also said Japanese construction company Obayashi will acquire a 50% stake in Eastland Generation for approximately 500 million New Zealand dollars (¥48.4 billion) to support the New Zealand company’s renewable energy business.
