Japan's Defense Minister to Visit Australia, India from Mon.

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi will visit Australia and India for five days from Monday, Japan's Defense Ministry said Friday.

In Australia, Koizumi is expected to meet with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, and discuss ways to deepen bilateral security cooperation, apparently with China in mind.

The two defense ministers are also likely to reaffirm steady progress on the Royal Australian Navy's project to replace its aging frigates with an upgraded version of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate.

In India, Koizumi plans to inspect a local naval base and meet with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.

During their meeting, Koizumi and Singh are expected to discuss defense equipment cooperation, including plans for early exports of Japan's Unicorn communication antenna system.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]