NATO and Japan will also sign an Individual Partnership Program (ITPP) at the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12.
NATO plans to open its first Asian liaison office in Tokyo next year to consult with Japan and key regional partners such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand as China emerges as a new challenge alongside of Russia. This was reported by Nikkei Asia.
Notably, NATO and Japan will also sign an Individual Partnership Program (ITPP) at the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12. The parties will deepen cooperation in the fight against cyber threats, coordinate positions on new and emerging technologies, and exchange notes on the fight against disinformation. The plans were confirmed by both Japanese and NATO officials.
The idea of opening an office was reportedly first discussed between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during his visit to Tokyo in late January. And in April, the alliance circulated a draft proposal to the alliance’s member countries.
Japan plans to create an independent mission to NATO, separate from the embassy in Belgium, where it is currently based. A new ambassador will be sent to relieve the NATO ambassador in Belgium.
It is expected that the signing of the ITPP between NATO and Japan will give impetus to the preparations for the Vilnius summit. The leaders of Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand are expected to attend the meeting, as they did last year, signaling deeper NATO engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.
The NATO liaison office will be the first of its kind in the Indo-Pacific region and will have more than symbolic value, said Peter Taxo-Jensen, Danish Ambassador to Japan.
“This will be a visible and real way to strengthen relations between Japan and NATO,” he said.
The Danish Embassy serves as the contact point for the alliance’s embassy in Japan and liaises with member states in Tokyo on cooperation between NATO and Japan.
“In 2022, at the Madrid Summit, the Allied leaders decided that Russia will no longer be a partner, but an enemy, and also recognize that China can and will influence trans-European security,” said the Danish ambassador in Japan.
According to him, this is why it is important for NATO to maintain relations with regional partners.
The Liaison Office will also liaise with other important players in the region such as India and ASEAN.
Going forward, NATO-Japan cooperation will focus on addressing issues beyond regions, such as cyber threats, disruptive technologies and disinformation activities, the Ambassador said.
According to the publication, this cooperation will be formalized in the coming weeks, when NATO and Japan will launch the ITPP to establish cooperation in areas such as cybersecurity, disinformation and space. It will be an updated version of the Individual Partnership and Cooperation Program (IPCP), which the parties signed in 2014.
According to Michito Tsuruoka, an assistant professor at Keio University, Russia’s war against Ukraine has changed NATO’s attitude toward China.
“In addition to the problems that China has created on its own, a new dimension has been added: China as a supporter of Russia. Now it is directly related to the security of Europe,” he said.
Tsuruoki noted that a NATO foothold in Japan would be of great importance to Japan.
“This means that when NATO looks at Asia, including China, it will be done through the lens of Tokyo. When a representative sends information to NATO headquarters, it will always go through Tokyo,” said he.
It was previously reported that the United States is ready to send troops to Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
NATO Secretary General: China draws conclusions from Russia’s war against Ukraine
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.