DARWIN, Australia (Kyodo) -- Japan agreed Sunday that its Ground Self-Defense Force will regularly take part in annual joint drills in Australia also involving the United States, ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration next year.

During their meeting, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Australian and U.S. counterparts, Richard Marles and Lloyd Austin, reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their partnership, while confirming they will set up a new trilateral consultative body.

Following the gathering hosted by Marles in Darwin, the three defense chiefs held a joint press conference expressing concern about the increasingly severe regional security environment. The capital of Australia's Northern Territory is known as a garrison town.

At the news conference, Marles said the regular participation of the GSDF's marine unit, which is responsible for carrying out amphibious operations, would help to bolster interoperability among Australia, Japan and the United States.

The Australian defense minister called the move a "very important statement to the region and to the world about the commitment that our three countries have in working with each other."

Austin, who will leave his post early next year, also said the United States hopes its Marine Corps stationed in Darwin will expand cooperation with Japan after the GSDF starts participating in the joint exercises in 2025.

Nakatani, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of the new three-way consultative body after saying at the outset of the meeting, "We want to update defense cooperation among Japan, the United States and Australia to a practical framework."

A joint statement released after the gathering said, "Recognizing the critical role the trilateral partnership plays to uphold regional stability, we commit to trilateral policy coordination and to consult each other on regional security issues and contingencies."

The three defense chiefs are visiting Darwin with fears growing that the incoming Republican Trump administration could downplay security involvement in the Asia-Pacific region under an "America First" policy.

Trump, who has expressed skepticism about multilateralism, secured a decisive victory in the Nov. 5 presidential election, defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. He will succeed President Joe Biden in January 2025.

During Biden's presidency from 2021, Tokyo, Canberra and Washington have strengthened trilateral defense drills to enhance interoperability and deterrence, particularly in the face of Beijing's military activities in the East and South China seas.

The United States and its allies have also remained vigilant about North Korea, which continues to conduct missile tests and boost military ties with Russia. South Korea has claimed Pyongyang has sent troops to Russia to support Moscow's war in Ukraine.

The last meeting of the Japanese, Australian and U.S. defense chiefs was held in Hawaii in May. A former Self-Defense Forces officer, Nakatani was appointed defense chief in Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet launched on Oct. 1, having previously served in the post in the mid-2010s.

In another move, Marles formally announced that the number of candidate countries for the potential joint development of a new warship that the Australian navy plans to introduce has been narrowed from four to two, including Japan.

Marles said at the press conference that his nation has evaluated highly Japan's plans for a frigate it is considering constructing with Australia.