Prior to the opening of the G7 Hiroshima Summit, Prime Minister Kishida held a meeting with Prime Minister Sunak of the United Kingdom on the evening of November 18 and agreed to further deepen cooperation in the field of security, confirming the solidarity toward the Summit.
The Japan-UK summit meeting lasted about one and a half hours over dinner at a Japan restaurant in Hiroshima City.
At the beginning, Prime Minister Sunak explained to Prime Minister Kishida that he was wearing red socks bearing the name of Hiroshima, a professional baseball team, and the atmosphere began with a relaxed atmosphere.
At the meeting, the two leaders agreed to further deepen cooperation in the field of security with a view to realizing a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" and the possibility of applying "weapons protection" in which the Self-Defense Forces protect other countries' ships.
They also confirmed that a new ministerial-level meeting would be held to promote economic partnerships, and announced the Japan-UK Hiroshima Accord, an outcome document summarizing a series of agreements, confirming the unity toward the Summit on June 1.
Prime Minister Sunak "Japan-UK Hiroshima Accord is a historic partnership"
British Prime Minister Sunak emphasized that the UK has developed its relationship with Japan more rapidly than any other partner, reflecting the pivotal role Japan plays in the Indo-Pacific region.
Regarding the outcome document "Japan-UK Hiroshima Accord" announced at the Japan-UK summit meeting, it is an agreement on cooperation in the fields of defense, trade and investment, science and technology, as well as joint work on global issues such as climate change.
He also emphasized that it is a "historic and new strategic partnership" that will further strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
On the defence front, in addition to doubling the UK's forces in future joint exercises between Japan and the UK, the United Kingdom will redeploy the first aircraft carrier strike group dispatched to the Indo-Pacific region in 2025 to work with the Maritime Self-Defense Force and other partners to safeguard peace and stability in the region.
In addition, we will strengthen cooperation in areas such as countermeasures against cyberattacks, clean energy such as offshore wind power generation, and technology exchanges in the semiconductor field.
Prime Minister Sunak attended the meeting wearing red socks from his hometown of Hiroshima, where Prime Minister Kishida supports professional baseball, and emphasized the closeness of the meeting, saying, "The UK and Japan share the same values, and I look forward to building not only friendship but also partnership between our two countries."