At the second EU-Japan Strategic Dialogue on Friday 4 April, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya discussed the strengthening of bilateral cooperation, particularly within the context of the EU-Japan Security and Defence Partnership concluded in November 2024 (see EUROPE 13517/10).
Against a backdrop of growing threats to global security, the partnership aims to strengthen cooperation in areas such as cyber and maritime security, the fight against foreign interference and space security.
Both sides expressed their commitment to the rules-based international order and highlighted the interconnected security environments of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.
They reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and condemned third countries that support Russia’s illegal war of aggression, the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia and the illegal transfer of arms from North Korea (DPRK) to Russia.
The nuclear programmes of Pyongyang and Iran, as well as tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the East and South China Seas and the Middle East have raised concerns.
The two sides agreed on the need to maintain close coordination within the G7 on key global and regional foreign policy priorities, “at a time when the international community as a whole is facing geopolitical tensions and major challenges to the Rule of law”. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)