Japan and the European Union (EU) are planning to begin negotiations on an agreement that will facilitate the sharing of classified information in the field of security. According to EU sources, this step is being taken in light of China’s increased military activities in the Indo-Pacific region and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This initiative, along with plans to establish a new dialogue mechanism aimed at promoting defense industry cooperation, is expected to be announced at the regular Japan-EU summit scheduled to be held in Japan in July. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to host European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the summit. It was stated that the same two European leaders are planning to hold a summit with China at the end of July to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the EU and China, and that the visit to Japan is planned to coincide with these dates. Japan and the 27-member EU consider Indo-Pacific and European security to be inseparable and are deepening their cooperation in the face of China’s increasing military activities and Russia’s war in Ukraine, which is supported by North Korea. At a meeting of foreign ministers held in Tokyo last November, Japan and the EU announced their security and defense partnership, stating that they would “explore the possibility of a Japan-EU agreement on information security.” The parties also agreed in the policy document they published to strengthen cooperation, including consultations on the development of defense initiatives and information sharing on the defense industry.
