Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's historic visit to Darwin has culminated in initiatives which deepen relations between Japan and Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says.
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The countries have signed a memorandum of understanding to support bilateral infrastructure financing in the Indo-Pacific and have exchanged a "Statement of Intent" between the Department of Home Affairs and the Japan Coast Guard to boost maritime security.
CSIRO and the Japan, Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation have also signed an MOU to "increase co-operation and encourage joint research activities".
"We're committed to strengthening our ability to work together to combat cross border maritime and trade-related crimes, and promote capacity building activity in the Indo-Pacific region," a statement jointly issued by Mr Morrison and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said.
The memorandum of understanding for infrastructure financing is designed to foster projects Japan and Australia can work on together to "increase the stability and prosperity of the region".
"As Japanese Prime Minister Abe's visit to Darwin signifies, our countries have made immense progress as partners and these new initiatives will take that even further," the Morrison-Payne statement read.
Mr Abe is the first Japanese leader to visit the city which was bombed by the Japanese army during World War II, killing hundreds.
He has laid a wreath at the city's cenotaph with Mr Morrison and is expected to inspect a memorial of the 80-crew Japanese submarine I-124, which was sunk off Darwin in January 1942 and remains there.
Darwin is a key part of Japan's energy security through the recently completed $US40 billion ($A55 billion) LNG project operated by Japan's Inpex.
The Ichthys LNG venture is the biggest foreign investment made by Japan as it has moved away from nuclear power since the Fukushima disaster.
Australian Associated Press