Japan, NATO agree on expanded programme of partnership and cooperation on summit’s sidelines

This is reported by Kyodo.

It is noted that Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, during a meeting in Vilnius with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, agreed to join forces under the new programme in 16 areas ranging from maritime and outer space security to cyberspace and disinformation.

The Individually Tailored Partnership Programme (ITPP) for the period up to 2026 was signed on 12 July on the sidelines of the Alliance summit. The new version of the initiative adds areas such as disruptive new technologies, interoperability and climate change.

"No other partner is closer to NATO than Japan," Stoltenberg told Kishida before the meeting.

The Secretary General also noted that the Alliance is concerned about China's "heavy military build-up" and North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.

Japan wants to deepen cooperation with NATO as both sides share fundamental values and strategic interests, as well as the view that "unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion will not be tolerated regardless of where in the world," Kishida said.

He and his counterparts from Australia, New Zealand and South Korea were invited to join discussions with NATO leaders in the Lithuanian capital.

Kishida, who was the first Japanese leader to attend the NATO Summit in June 2022 in Spain, has been saying since the first days of the war in Ukraine that the security of the Indo-Pacific region is inseparable from that of Europe.

Also on the second day of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said in his speech that Japan would provide a UAV detection system to Ukraine as part of its assistance to the country amid the war with Russia.