Australia-Japan Joint Strategic Financing Memorandum of Cooperation

Australian Embassy, Tokyo on 2 October 2026

This Memorandum of Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as the "MoC") is made between the Government of Australia, as represented by the Department of Finance and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Government of Japan, as represented by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, hereinafter collectively referred to as ‘the Participants’. The MoC provides a framework for Australia and Japan to pursue practical cooperative arrangements and facilitate rapid and coordinated responses by strategic financing agencies^[1] of Australia and Japan in pursuit of shared economic security interests.

Vision

Participants recognise that strategic finance capabilities have evolved to play a broader role in advancing shared economic security and resilience of supply chains, including critical minerals and energy, and regional development objectives.

Australia and Japan have co-pioneered international strategic finance cooperation since the 2018 Trilateral Infrastructure Partnership. In this 50^th anniversary year of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation, and under the Australia-Japan Joint Declaration on Economic Security Cooperation, Australia and Japan commit to build upon their longstanding and trusted partnership to drive forward practical frameworks for bilateral strategic financing cooperation.

Strategic Principles

Strategic financing cooperation between the Participants will be guided by the following principles:

1. Participants recognise the accelerating pace of global economic and strategic competition underscores the growing urgency for timely responses to address economic security and strategic priorities.
2. Participants concur on consolidating lessons learned and institutionalising effective practices across their strategic finance frameworks to enhance the scale, speed, and impact of our cooperation.
3. Participants recognise that our strategic finance capabilities can catalyse private investment in the Indo-Pacific, contributing to mobilisation of capital in support of both commercial and strategically significant investments across the Indo‑Pacific region. Participants recognise that some investments may fall outside normal risk or private investment parameters but can play an important role in leveraging investment from the private sector. This can deliver sustainable growth pathways and economic resilience for host partner countries, as well as create greater opportunities for Australian and Japanese businesses to work, trade and invest throughout the region.
4. Participants recognise the important role of policy agencies in helping private investors and our financing agencies navigate the complex and changing global trade and investment environment. This is particularly relevant for co-investment opportunities in strategically significant investments and Participants concur on the importance of promoting and progressing those opportunities and may refer opportunities through relevant ministerial or other senior-level engagements as required and where appropriate.
5. Participants concur on the importance of active and ongoing cooperation among their policy agencies, financing agencies, and the private sector, to ensure a common understanding at multiple levels whereby strategic finance capabilities can be deployed complementarily in a coordinated manner across the Indo-Pacific (including in Australia and Japan) to ensure mutual economic security objectives can be achieved. 

Areas of Cooperation

In pursuit of Australia and Japan’s shared economic security interests, Participants concur on progressing the following areas of cooperation:

1. Participants recognise the value of the inaugural Australia-Japan Strategic Investment Networking Forum (SINF) as a platform for networking, information exchange, and practical cooperation developed between Australian and Japanese financing agencies and responsible policy agencies to progress this MoC.
2. Participants aim to collaborate on best practices and lessons learned from cooperation with the private sector, including exploring engagement with our Joint Business Cooperation Committees and trade/investment facilitation agencies to conduct joint business outreach; and use of both the Australian Government’s National Interest Account administered by Export Finance Australia (EFA) and the Japanese Government’s Overseas Economic Security Arrangement (OESA) Account under which the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) provides financing for strategically significant projects.
3. Participants will encourage all relevant financing agencies and policy agencies to engage in early discussions on potential co-investment projects. This approach can help to assess the relative priority of projects and understand required and available support across the Australian and Japanese systems.
4. Participants concur on identifying coordination points within their systems that could facilitate regular meetings of key policy and financing agencies to discuss priority projects, share strategic risk assessments, and progress any proposed collaboration on identified projects. These meetings would seek to identify the opportunities of mutual strategic and significant investment.
5. To facilitate this, Participants concur on improving information sharing to build a more complete, shared understanding of projects, risks, national and economic security considerations and opportunities across the Indo-Pacific, and on coordinating projects and investments to help avoid duplication of effort, reduce demands on host country partners, and identify gaps where support is needed.

Status of Instrument

1. This MoC represents the understanding reached between the Participants and does not create any legally binding rights or obligations.
2. Nothing in this MoC affects the Participants’ rights and obligations derived from international agreements to which the Australia and Japan are parties or the Participants’ obligations under their respective domestic law.

Dispute Resolution

1. Any disputes about the interpretation or application of the MoC will be resolved by consultations between the Participants, and will not be referred to any national or international tribunal or third party for settlement.

Modification

1. This MoC may be modified at any time by the mutual written consent of the Participants.

Term and Discontinuation

1. This MoC will commence on the date it has been signed on behalf of the Participants and will continue until discontinued by either Participant giving at least six months’ written notice to the other Participant.
2. The Participants will consult to determine how any outstanding matters should be dealt with.
3.