NATO reinforced its military partnership with Japan during two days of high-level staff talks in Tokyo earlier this month.
Brig. Gen. Ungüder Eray, deputy director of the Cooperative Security Division of NATO’s International Military Staff, led the delegation of NATO military experts that met with Japanese officials headed by Gen. Shirai Ryoji to discuss improving interoperability amid shared concerns in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions.
The talks covered areas of practical military cooperation, including joint exercises, training and courses. “NATO and Japan have significantly deepened their military cooperation in a rapid and constructive way over the recent years,” Eray said. “In today’s very complex security environment, we must maintain the momentum and do even more to tackle cross-regional challenges and shared security interests.”
The NATO team also met with representatives of the NATO Contact Point Embassies in Japan, where Norwegian Ambassador Kristin Iglum and Romanian Minister-Counsellor Geta Medeleanu reaffirmed the strong cooperation between the allies and Japan.
The staff talks follow NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s visit to Tokyo in April, where he met with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani to discuss the growing military activities of China, North Korea and Russia. During the meeting, Rutte urged enhanced cooperation among allies to secure open sea lanes in the Indo-Pacific, while Nakatani expressed Japan’s interest in joining NATO’s training mission for Ukraine.