Australian, Japanese ministers discuss defense relations

Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill on Tuesday met with Japanese Minister of State for Defense Yoshinori Ohno in Sydney, Australia, to discuss the Australia-Japan defense relationship.

The ministers discussed regional security issues such as counter terrorism and weapons proliferation, and the prospect of more collaborative work between the two countries in the area of missile defense.

Hill returned from Iraq's southern province of Al Muthanna earlier in the day, where 450-strong Australian troops are protecting Japanese engineers.

"Minister Ohno expressed his appreciation to Australia for making the difficult decision to send Australian troops to protect Japanese troops in the Al Muthanna Province in southern Iraq," Hill said in a statement.

"He also passed on his concern on behalf of the Japanese Government for the Australian currently being held hostage in Iraq," Hill said.

An Australian citizen was taken hostage while working as a contractor with the US military in the war-torn Middle East country.

Australia, a staunch ally of the United States on the war of Iraq, sent 2,000-strong troops to join the US-led "coalition of the willing" in March, 2003. It had maintained about 900 military personnel in the Middle East before the extra 450 troops were deployed in Iraq last month.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard announced the decision of sending the extra troops to Iraq in February, saying it was made at the request from the Japanese government.