July 14, 2023

The NATO summit took place on July 11 and July 12 in Vilnius, Lithuania, confirming the further strengthening of military support for Ukraine. Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio attended the summit as a partner country and signed a new cooperative agreement with NATO.

NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg at a meeting with PM Kishida described Japan like this: "No NATO partner is closer than Japan."

The new agreement "Individually Tailored Partnership Program (ITPP)" brings into relief the possibility of further promoting Japan-NATO military ties with China in mind.

The ITPP says, "The Indo-Pacific is important for NATO, given that developments in that region can directly affect Euro-Atlantic security," stressing that the situations of both areas are inseparable. The ITPP refers to the need to enhance cooperation to address emerging challenges such as cyber defense and the handling of hostile information. Japan and NATO, according to the ITPP, will promote "practical cooperation" and enhance interoperability.

In order to facilitate such practical cooperation, the ITPP says that Japan and NATO will be committed to reinforcing information sharing capabilities.

This description is implying the possibility of the opening of a NATO liaison office in Tokyo.

Past related article:
> PM Kishida wants to make Japan NATO associate member [July 9, 2023]