Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have agreed to strengthen defense industry cooperation to address security challenges posed by Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s growing military assertiveness.
The cooperation will focus on the development of advanced dual-use technologies such as artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles and quantum technology that can be used in civilian and military fields. Japan and NATO have been deepening their partnership, especially since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The two sides see the security of the Indo-Pacific region and Europe as interdependent. “A stronger NATO will greatly benefit Japan,” Ishiba told a joint press conference at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo, stressing that defense industry cooperation “has great potential.” “We welcome NATO’s increased activities in the Indo-Pacific region,” Ishiba said. Rutte, for his part, emphasized the importance of NATO-Japan cooperation at this “pivotal” time as Russia continues its war in Ukraine and China expands its military capacity and seeks to gain control over critical technologies and supply chains. Noting that China “continues its destabilizing activities in the Indo-Pacific,” the NATO Secretary General welcomed Japan’s willingness to join NATO’s military support coordination center for Ukraine (NSATU).
