SYDNEY, March 11 (UPI) -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard flew to Tokyo Sunday to sign a new security agreement with Japan.
An Australian government spokesman said the declaration Howard will sign with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, will provide for broad cooperation between Australia and Japan on defense, security and intelligence gathering.
It builds on the developing trilateral security partnership between Australia, Japan and the United States, the spokesman said.
The deal with Australia will be the first such pact that Japan has signed with any country other than the United States.
During his Tokyo visit, Howard was expected to hold preliminary talks on the proposed free trade agreement between Australia and Japan ahead of formal negotiations due to begin next month.
