Japan, Germany Commit to Strengthen Security Cooperation

(MENAFN) Japan and Germany pledged on Monday to “further” enhance their bilateral security cooperation, according to an official statement following their inaugural “strategic dialogue” held in Tokyo.

The talks were co-led by Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul, who is on a three-day visit to Japan. The Japanese Foreign Ministry’s statement highlighted Iwaya’s remarks that the international order “faces severe challenges,” increasing the urgency for closer Japan-Germany cooperation.

The two countries have already advanced security ties, including a bilateral “acquisition and cross-servicing” agreement activated last July, facilitating joint military exercises between Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the German armed forces.

“Japan is a special partner in Asia that shares the same values and principles,” Wadephul told Iwaya, emphasizing Germany’s intent to “further deepen cooperation.”

Iwaya underscored that “The Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific have become increasingly inseparable,” welcoming Germany’s growing presence in the region through asset deployments and other initiatives.

Established diplomatic relations since 1861, Japan and Germany are key members of the G7 and G20. Their trade volume has surged to more than $47 billion in recent years.

The statement highlighted that both ministers concurred on enhancing security-related discussions and boosting collaboration in the cyber domain to advance their bilateral security partnership.

They also exchanged perspectives on the Ukraine conflict, agreeing to “work in close coordination to achieve a just and lasting peace.” Broader discussions included Asia-Pacific security, policies toward North Korea, and developments in the Middle East and Africa.

At a joint news conference, Wadephul highlighted shared security interests with Japan in the Indo-Pacific, especially “with regard to the Taiwan Strait in the South and East China Seas.”

“The tense situation there worries us all. China repeatedly threatens, more or less openly, to unilaterally change the status quo and shift borders in its favor,” the German diplomat said.

“It is quite clear that the prohibition of the use of force in the United Nations Charter applies, and any escalation would have serious consequences in this sensitive hub of international trade for global security and the global economy,” Wadephul warned.

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