Tokyo, 6 June, /AJMEDIA/
Japan and the European Union plan to begin negotiations to conclude an accord to facilitate exchanges of classified security information, an EU source said Thursday, amid China’s military buildup in the Indo-Pacific region and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The move, along with a plan to launch a dialogue framework to promote defense industry cooperation, is expected to be announced at a regular Japan-EU summit being arranged for July in the Asian country, the source said.
At the envisioned meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will host European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The two European leaders aim to hold a summit with China in late July to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the EU and Beijing, with their trip to Japan expected to be scheduled around the same time, the source said.
Viewing the security of the Indo-Pacific region and Europe as inseparable, Japan and the 27-member bloc have been deepening their collaboration amid heightened Chinese military activity and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine with support from North Korea.
Unveiling their security and defense partnership, after a foreign ministerial meeting in Tokyo in November, Japan and the EU said they would “explore the possibility of a Japan-EU agreement on the security of information.”
In a policy document, they said they also agreed to “conduct consultations on the development of respective defense initiatives, including exchange of information on defense industry-related matters.”
