NATO Secretary-General visits Japan and holds talks with Prime Minister Kishida to strengthen relations between Japan and NATO

NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Stoltenberg will visit Japan from the 30th and is expected to exchange opinions on strengthening relations between Japan and NATO as Russia and China deepen cooperation.

NATO, the world's largest military alliance with 30 members, mainly from the major countries of Europe and America, Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, will visit Japan for three days from the 30th and will meet with Prime Minister Kishida and others.

NATO is expected to exchange views with Japan to strengthen cooperation with democracies in the Indo-Pacific region, including Japan, as Russia continues to invade Ukraine and China is increasing its military armaments.

Prime Minister Kishida became the first Japanese Prime Minister to attend the NATO Summit held in Spain last June.

In a document called the "Strategic Concept" adopted at this summit, NATO stated that "the development of the situation in the Indo-Pacific region could have a direct impact on the security of the North Atlantic," and that "the Indo-Pacific is important for NATO."

Regarding this visit to Japan, a high-ranking U.S. government official, who leads NATO, told NHK, "The Secretary-General's visit to Japan is an important step in dealing with various issues that are common across regions and important issues in terms of security. After that, it will continue," he said, expressing his expectations for the future strengthening of relations between Japan and NATO.

Experts evaluate that cooperation will be strengthened in various aspects

Regarding the relationship between NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and Japan and other democratic countries in the Indo-Pacific region, Louis Simon, director of the Institute for Security and Diplomacy Strategy at the Free University of Brussels, who is familiar with European security policy, said, "Cooperate in various aspects. have been strengthened.”

Specifically, he said, "It shows that there are many partners in the world who support norms, international law, and order for Russia, and there is momentum to strengthen relations on the political front." He pointed out that it is meaningful to counter Russia's continuing military invasion of Ukraine.

Furthermore, he said, "There is also cooperation in practical aspects that are not bound by region, such as cyberspace, outer space, and innovative technology." rice field.