“The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been inflicting enormous impact on the Indo-Pacific,” the Japanese leader told journalists.”We affirmed that Japan and Australia will closely communicate with each other in responding with a sense of urgency.”The two countries aim to strengthen autonomy and resilience to secure stable supplies of energy, Takaichi said.Australia is the biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas to Japan, which in turn is a source for about 7 per cent of Australia’s diesel.ENERGY AND CRITICAL MINERALS AGREEMENTSThe two countries agreed on Monday to deepen cooperation on energy and critical minerals, as Takaichi met Albanese during…