TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday that Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security are inseparable in her first talks as premier with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry.
The phone talks were held amid deepening partnership between Japan and NATO in response to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, threats from North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, and an assertive China.
Rutte welcomed her comments on the strategic importance of cooperation between NATO and Japan, as well as between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners — Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea — as a group, the ministry said.
In 2023, Japan and NATO reached an agreement to advance cooperation in 16 areas, ranging from maritime security and outer space to cyberspace and disinformation.
In January, the Mission of Japan to NATO was officially launched in Brussels, with its functions separated from the Japanese Embassy in Belgium.
