Secretary General welcomes Japanese Defence Minister to NATO Headquarters
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada to NATO Headquarters on Thursday (5 January 2017). It was the first visit to NATO by a Japanese Defence Minister since 2007. The two leaders discussed progress in NATO-Japan cooperation and exchanged views on the security situation, including in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Secretary General praised Japan for its close cooperation with NATO in the maritime domain, in the context of international efforts to combat piracy. He also welcomed Japan’s efforts to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the country’s focus on cyber defence, including participation in NATO’s Cyber Coalition 2016 exercise, as an observer.
Japan is NATO’s longest-standing global partner, having established ties in the early 1990s. In May 2014, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Prime Minister Shinzō Abe of Japan signed an agreement to deepen political dialogue and practical cooperation between the Alliance and Japan, including in the areas of counter piracy, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.