Japan, U.S. to hold "2-plus-2" meeting on Oct. 3 on security issues

Japan and its key ally the United States will hold a two-plus-two summit between the two countries' foreign and defense ministers on Oct. 3 in Tokyo on bilateral security cooperation, reported local media Friday.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday in New York that the ministers will discuss further defense cooperation and the realignment of the U.S. military forces in Japan, Japan's Kyodo News said.

The meeting is expected to review the bilateral security cooperation guidelines which define the roles played by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. forces, Kyodo cited a Japanese government official.

The last round of such meeting was held in June 2011.