The defense ministers of Japan and Germany on Sunday underlined the importance of deepening bilateral cooperation, including via a potential new agreement to make joint exercises smoother and more effective.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi hosted his German counterpart Boris Pistorius in his hometown of Yokosuka near Tokyo. “The importance of close coordination between like-minded nations like Japan and Germany is greater than ever,” Koizumi said during a joint press appearance following their meeting at a Maritime Self-Defense Force base.
Pistorius revealed that he proposed the signing of a bilateral reciprocal access agreement to allow their troops to conduct activities on each other’s soil more easily, describing it as a framework to ease the exchange of soldiers between countries and significantly reduce bureaucratic hurdles.
The two sides pledged to step up cooperation ‘in various forms’ across a wide range of defense-related areas, including military-industrial cooperation, and also discussed developments in the Middle East and contributing to ensuring safe passage via the Strait of Hormuz.
Japan and Germany have been deepening security cooperation, especially as Russia’s war in Ukraine has reinforced the view that the security of the Indo-Pacific and that of Europe is inseparable. The ministers confirmed they will continue to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation and exchanges, including in the Japan-NATO framework.
