Japan and NATO agreed on Tuesday intensify military cooperation and joint exercisessince they consider that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is deteriorating the security environment in Asia and Europe.
Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said that Japan hopes to strengthen ties with European countries and welcomed NATO’s expanded involvement in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The security of Europe and Asia are closely intertwined, especially now that the international community faces serious challenges,” Kishi said at the end of a meeting with the head of the NATO Military Committee, Rob Bauer, quoted by the US agency AP.
Bauer’s visit to Tokyo comes as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force participates in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.
Japan has been increasing its military capabilities and its cooperation with Europe.in addition to its alliance with the United States and alliances with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region, given the rise of China.
Japanese and US warplanes conducted joint exercises over the Sea of Japan “amid an increasingly severe security environment, such as repeated launches of ballistic missiles by North Korea,” the Japanese Defense Ministry announced.
The exercise, in which four Japanese F-15s and two US F-16s participated, was intended to demonstrate the “strong commitment and close cooperation” between the two forces in “responding to any emergency, while strengthening the strong alliance”, according to the ministry.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was invited to the NATO summit later this month in Madrid and, if he accepts, he will be the first Japanese leader to attend an Atlantic Alliance meeting.
In May, the chief of the Japanese General Staff, Koji Yamazaki, participated for the first time in a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Belgium.
Bauer praised Japan’s growing commitment to addressing “shared security challenges.”
Japan quickly joined the United States and Europe in imposing sanctions against Moscow and supporting kyiv following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
The Japanese authorities justified that the crisis caused by the Russian invasion affects not only Europe, but could also encourage China to increase its assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, according to AP.
Source: Observadora
