Japan-New Zealand Defense Ministerial Meeting

Ministry of Defense of Japan

(Press Release)

Feb 13, 2026

Ministry of Defense

On February 13 2026, commencing at 3:40 pm (local time) for approximately 15 minutes, Defense Minister KOIZUMI and New Zealand Defense Minister Collins held a Japan-New Zealand Defense Ministerial Meeting.

1.At the outset, Minister Koizumi expressed his sympathy for the damage caused by the torrential rains that hit New Zealand in January this year, and expressed his respect for the New Zealand Defence Force’s efforts to support disaster recovery activities.

2.The two Ministers welcomed the realization of their third face-to-face Defense Ministerial Meeting as a reflection of the close ties between two countries and concurred on developing defense equipment cooperation building upon the progresses made in bilateral defense cooperation and exchanges.

3.The two Ministers confirmed that they would work together to promote cooperation with NATO and European countries as a member of the IP4, based on the recognition that security of Europe-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific is inseparable.