海洋安保、コロナで協力　太平洋島しょ国と防衛相会合

　防衛省は２日、日本と太平洋島しょ国の防衛担当閣僚による会合をオンライン形式で開催した。会合後に発表された共同声明は、日本が提唱する「自由で開かれたインド太平洋」構想に沿い、航行や上空飛行の自由の重要性を強調。新型コロナウイルス対策や防災、北朝鮮の非核化に関する協力を確認した。
　岸信夫防衛相は冒頭、「私たちの太平洋地域は新たな挑戦に直面している」と指摘。コロナ禍や気候変動、自然災害とともに、中国を念頭に「権威主義との競争」を挙げ、連携強化を呼び掛けた。（2021/09/02-15:51）

Defense ministers from Japan and Pacific island nations at an online meeting Thursday confirmed their countries' cooperation in the field of maritime security.
   In a joint statement released after the Japan Pacific Islands Defense Dialogue, the participants emphasized the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight in line with the Japanese-proposed free and open Indo-Pacific initiative.
   They also agreed to work together on novel coronavirus measures, disaster management and the denuclearization of North Korea.
   "Our Pacific region is facing new challenges," Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said at the beginning of the meeting. He called for stepped-up cooperation, pointing to the fight against authoritarianism, apparently with China in mind, on top of issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and natural disasters.
   The virtual meeting was participated by defense ministers from 13 Pacific island nations, including Fiji, Tonga and Micronesia, in addition to Kishi, and government representatives from countries including the United States, Australia and Britain. Samoa and Chile were unable to attend due to bad internet connections.