The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Takeshi Iwaya held the first EU-Japan Strategic Dialogue on 1 November in Tokyo.

During the Dialogue, High Representative Borrell and Foreign Minister Iwaya announced the EU-Japan Security and Defence Partnership. Japan is the first country in the Indo-Pacific to adopt such a political framework for enhanced cooperation on security and defence with the European Union. The new partnership will frame, streamline and enhance bilateral cooperation and dialogue on key areas such as maritime security, participation in EU missions and operations space security and defence, cyber issues, Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference (FIMI) and disinformation, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation and disarmament, and defence initiatives and industry, among other. The agreement underlines the strategic importance of deepening cooperation on security and defence in the face of growing and multifaceted security challenges.

During their discussions, High Representative Borrell and Foreign Minister Iwaya reaffirmed their staunch commitment to peace, stability and prosperity, grounded in shared values and common interests. They highlighted the importance of closer collaboration on regional and global security, with particular focus on the interconnected security environments of Europe and the Indo-Pacific. The EU was welcomed as a close partner in Asia.

The High Representative and the Foreign Minister also reiterated their unwavering commitment to support Ukraine as it defends its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russia’s war of aggression and their condemnation of third-country support to Russia’s illegal war of aggression. They also shared their grave concern over Russia’s deepening military cooperation with the DPRK, including the deployment of DPRK troops to Russia and arms transfers between DPRK and Russia which flagrantly violate multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, and over Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

In their discussions, the High Representative and the Foreign Minister also shared serious concerns about the situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and expressed their strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion and increase tensions that could undermine regional stability and the international rules-based order. Both reaffirmed that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are of strategic importance for regional and global security and prosperity.

High Representative Borrell and Foreign Minister Iwaya expressed deep concern over the escalating violence in the Middle East. They called for an immediate ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border and in Gaza, as well as for the release of all hostages and unhindered humanitarian access. They stressed the need for a renewed focus on a two-state solution and the protection of civilians and peacekeepers in conflict zones, particularly in line with UN mandates.

They also announced the formal entry into force of the EU-Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement at the end of 2024, following ratification by all 27 EU Member States. The SPA has been applied on a provisional basis since February 2019, and has produced a deepening of bilateral ties across all policy dimensions and issues of global concern.

Background

The establishment of a Strategic Dialogue at foreign ministerial level was agreed at the 2023 EU-Japan Summit, and marks a key moment in strengthening the bilateral security partnership.

EU-Japan Security and Defence Partnership